Bolivia is one of the countries with the lowest health indicators in Latin America. Despite increased investment in public health facilities in recent years, availability and quality of care remain poor and the country counts with one of the lowest number of human resources in health of the continent. The rate of deaths due to pregnancy and childbirth in Bolivia is the worst in Latin America, and within the country, it is highest in La Paz department, specifically, in El Alto municipality. The municipality is also known to have the largest adolescent population, and according to national surveys, almost a third of 19-year-old women are already mothers.

In 2018, MSF opened a small sexual and reproductive health program in El Alto. The project focuses on the local indigenous population, and in particular teenage pregnancies for whom death during pregnancy and childbirth occur most frequently. MSF is supporting two maternity wards in Franz Tamayo and in San Roque primary healthcare centers with a model of care that implies supporting HR for the activity. MSF works in close collaboration with the communities and the authorities (Ministry of Health) in both centers, with the main objective of reducing deaths during pregnancy and childbirth and improving access to safe deliveries through high-quality, culturally adapted services. The project was designed for three years 2018 to 2020 and will end in the coming weeks. We want to give visibility to this response, show the needs of the population we are serving and to try a last push to the MOH in order to stimulate the increase of human resources at the health centers.