The Birth Across the Borders programme of work is a unique project as it consists of several work packages which form an educational intervention for women and their communities to be able to access evidence-based resources and training.

Phase 1 of Birth Across the Borders – Understanding the Context

In phase 1 of the project, we focused on collecting data across communities to wholly understand the experiences of pregnant woman, their families (fathers) and those who care for them (this included community healthcare workers, midwives and medics, as well as traditional birth attendants, village leaders and community businesspeople). A combination of questionnaires, 1-1 interviews, focus groups and storybooks were used to gather rich details on the lives and experiences of participants across the three regions of Myanmar. 

Phase 2 of Birth Across the Borders – Designing the Resources

During this phase of the project all the data collected in phase 1, was analysed, with a focus on the contextual and culturally relevant information that would be used to design bespoke community educational materials and resources. The qualitative data was analysed using the Braun and Clarke Thematic Analysis Framework (2006, 2012, 2013) in a software package called NVivo. All themes were developed and revised in collaboration with UU research team and our regional teams in SE Asia. Our quantitative data from the three surveys was analysed using the statistical software package SPSS. Our quantitative and qualitative data were married to build a complete picture of the gaps in maternal health and the experiences of women in remote regions of Myanmar. This knowledge helped to us to create a bespoke community intervention targeting multiple groups to improve knowledge and reduce the risks associated with maternal and infant health to improve the lives of pregnant women in remote regions across Myanmar.

Phase 3 of Birth Across the Borders – Delivery and Testing

In the final phase of the project, we delivered our community intervention across three remote regions in Myanmar. This intervention included maternal health and health promotion training with bespoke sessions aimed at pregnant women, their families, traditional birth attendants and other healthcare workers. Emergency obstetric care staff received an intensive 10-week EmOC training programme with competency-based skills assessments delivered online and in-person. Businesspeople, farmers and those with an interest in community development also received a variety of training and practical sessions which built upon their knowledge and were tailored based on their region and accessibility of resources. All our intervention activities were delivered by teams of regional trainers across each state. These trainers were trained by the BAB research team from both the UK and SE Asia. This cascade of training built capacity across our regional partnerships and within the communities involved in the project, which will have a lasting impact on the lives of pregnant women in remote regions of Myanmar.