Dr Alice Ladur is passionate about reducing maternal mortality in Uganda. Her doctoral research focused on increasing male involvement in pregnancy and childbirth as a means of promoting safe motherhood. Using an innovative game Whose Shoes, which she adapted for the Ugandan context, Alice helped men in Uganda to understand what it was like for their wives to be pregnant and why accessing skilled care is vital to maternal and newborn health. As one man said: "This game has opened my eyes to the many things’ women go through and now I understand. We have learnt through the group discussions about complications in childbirth".
In Uganda men control the family finances and, as a result, access to skilled support at the time of birth. Sharing their experiences, particularly around losing a baby, helped the men come "to a logical conclusion of the matter as well as learning from the experience to allow our wives to give birth in the hospital."
Alice said "It was exciting to see behavioural changes in men immediately after using the Whose Shoes game, which translated to women returning for scheduled antenatal care visits a lot happier and relaxed. That was special and remains one of the highlights of my PhD program."
Alice's work was featured in a recent podcast of the TheObsPod (episode 72) looking at safe and respectful maternity and newborn care.
