9.6.1  Skilled birth attendance

As we said at the beginning, obstructed labour is a major cause of maternal death worldwide, and especially in developing countries like Ethiopia. The most important intervention that could prevent this toll of death and disability is having the services of a skilled attendant at the birth. So a really important part of your role as a rural health worker is to teach the people in your community (men as well as women) about the importance of getting skilled care at every delivery. Encourage the women to come to you for advice and maintain close links with the health centres or hospital (if there is one) in your area to facilitate quick and efficient referral in cases of emergency.