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Midwives for Afghan women

Iran / 21.01.09

Since May 2008, a Médecins Sans Frontières medical team of three midwives, a translator and two social workers have been carrying out visits twice a week to the homes of Afghan women in Zahedan, Iran. One third of these patients give birth at home.
© Valérie Babize/MSF

“I gave birth at home. My baby is nine days’ old. I don’t have the time to get to a clinic. We are working all the time. My mother helped me give birth. It was the first time she had seen a midwife do it.” Fatemeh and her family have been in Iran for 10 years. The Médecins Sans Frontières team visits her at home.
© Valérie Babize/MSF

This child had his leg amputated when he was working in the family waste management business. The stump is causing him pain. The visit of the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) team is also an opportunity to remind all the family that they can see a doctor for free at one of the three MSF clinics in Zahedan.
© Valérie Babize/MSF

Every day, children and adults pick through the rubbish and put it into bags to be sent to Teheran. The collection and the treatment of rubbish is a widespread activity among Afghan refugees in Zahedan.
© Valérie Babize/MSF

Australian midwife Sonia Girle (left) explains how to wash the child and how to provide hygienic care. She demonstrates how to clean the child’s belly button with the gauze: “It is very important to wash the baby to avoid infections,” Sonia explains. Sonia also examines the general condition of the mother and asks her to visit the Médecins Sans Frontières clinic in six weeks for a follow up consultation.
© Valérie Babize/MSF

“We are in debt by more than 7,000,000 Rial. We don’t have anymore money. There are twenty of us, we all live together. We collect plastic items from all the rubbish bins in the city to send to Teheran. The neighbours help us. We have a lot of work. We left Helmand, in Afghanistan, 10 years ago.”
© Valérie Babize/MSF

Sonia Girle examines a young baby. Since the baby was born, no doctor has checked its general health. Sonia recommends the baby be vaccinated and that it is washed properly at least every second day. The family doesn’t use much water, as there is not much running water in the house.
© Valérie Babize/MSF

“I mainly eat potatoes.” This young mother is anaemic. Sonia provides her with iron and Vitamin C as she does not eat many vegetables, and supplies her with soap and a towel, of which the family has none.
© Valérie Babize/MSF

During Sonia’s consultation, the social workers also assess the financial needs of the family. Some money is given, according to the family’s individual situation. The family is planning to visit the Médecins Sans Frontières clinic the following day.
© Valérie Babize/MSF

Since May 2008, the Médecins Sans Frontières medical team has followed up more than 400 mothers in their homes. Between 60 and 80 pregnant women have also been referred to maternity facilities.
© Siavash Maghsoudi

Since 2001, Médecins Sans Frontières has been assisting Afghan refugees in Zahedan, the capital of the Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchistan, where they have been crossing the border for the last 30 years.

Iranian authorities estimate that the majority of Afghans are economic migrants and, therefore, not entitled to legal status or access to free healthcare. In response, Médecins Sans Frontières provides primary and secondary healthcare to this population.

Australian nurse and midwife Sonia Girle worked in Zahedan between April and November this year. In this slideshow we follow Sonia on some of her consultations and hear from Afghan refugees about their lives in Iran.

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