January 21, 2020
Initiative supports creation of safe motherhood program with the Somali community
Mama Amaan (Somali for “safe motherhood”) is a partnership between the Somali Health Board of Tukwila and the University of Washington. Its goal is to test the feasibility of a community-developed and run program of pre- and postnatal care services to help reduce negative health outcomes for women and infants.
The program brings together women in five different locations around South Seattle and South King County for monthly lessons in the physical, mental and emotional issues of pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum life.
Delivered by local Somali doulas and nurses, the lessons aim to assist East African immigrant and refugee communities in accessing and navigating maternal health services.
The Mama Amaan program was supported by a pilot research grant from the Population Health Initiative.