Welcome to the Havelian Project.

Providing life-saving transport to birth centres for labouring or critically ill pregnant women.

For a moment, imagine yourself or loved one in labour, critically ill. Life-saving care, in a birthing centre, is unreachable until the break of dawn, sometimes proving too late. Delays in reaching care often results in the tragic death of a pregnant woman, a mother, a wife, a sister or a daughter. For women in Havelian, a small town in Pakistan, this scenario is a reality.

Ammalife has identified the delay in reaching appropriate obstetric care as the main reason for the death of so many pregnant women in Havelian.

There can be delay in:

1. deciding to seek care;
2. reaching a treatment facility; and
3. receiving adequate treatment at the facility

Ammalife's Havelian project targets all three reasons for delays, with particular emphasis on timely arrival at a treatment facility.

Project Location and background

Havelian is a small town approximately 10 miles from Abbottabad, the nearest larger city. The project incorporates about 50 villages in the surrounding areas of Havelian. Several of these villages are spread across mountainous terrain, often with treacherous narrow roads. There is limited public transport, and very few private cars. The main mode of transport is a small fleet of mini-bus taxis which are privately owned. After dark, this transportation facility reduces rapidly. Moreover, even when available, the taxi fare is generally well beyond what most families can afford.

Project Aim

Our aim is to provide transport to the needy pregnant women, especially those already in labour or suffering complications of pregnancy in areas around Havelian. Ammalife re-imburses mini-bus taxi drivers at a charge of £3-£5 per "life-saving journey". Working with local taxi companies has led to:

1. A reduced fee
2. An emergency service (with routine transportation of passengers suspended when a pregnant woman is being transported), and
3. An out-of-hours service (to include nights and weekends).