Mary Knoll lay missioner, nurse, maternal and child health specialist and 30-year resident of Africa, Elizabeth Mach talks with a new mother after delivery.

Photo: Dorthe Pederson

Ultrasound Device and Nurse Training Grant

We are proud to be in partnership with Sonosite, Elizabeth Mach and the clinic in the rural setting of Kowak, Tanzania. Through our Sonosite partnership we were able to grant the clinic a refurbished, handheld ultrasound device to use with examinations on pregnant mothers. We paid to have Ms. Mach trained in using the new machine. Now she and several nurses are using the Sonosite 180 ultrasound to learn if they can tell which women may end up in an obstructed labor and then be able to refer them to a hospital for safe delivery.

The ultrasound device also allows the nurses who work in rural and underserved areas to educate the families about the importance of pre-natal nutrition, having skilled birth attendants present at the time of birth, and care for the mother-to-be. In addition to working on detecting the probability of obstructed labor in advance, the nurses are also able to detect life-threatening and potentially life-threatening conditions such as ectopic pregnancy, placenta previa, the presence of twins, transverse lie and others. With this knowledge, the nurses are able to work with the families to get the mothers the care they need for the duration of their pregnancy and during labor.