Udeme Silas

Udeme Silas

I am happy that I visited the health facility because that decision saved my life and that of my twins.
– Udeme Silas

When Udeme Silas was pregnant for the fourth time, she decided she would use a traditional birth attendant. This meant she would take herbs throughout her pregnancy and would deliver at home, the custom in her community in coastal Nigeria.
She had actually given birth in the community health center before, but she still hadn’t been told about the importance of routine prenatal health care visits. So, when she became sick early in her pregnancy, instead of seeking medical help, Udeme took herbs to bring down her fever. Soon, she became sicker. That is when she decided to go not to the health center but to her local church to pray for her recovery.
Six months into her pregnancy, she encountered Theresa Peters at church. Seeing how ill Udeme was, Theresa, a community volunteer with CCP’s HC3 project, explained the importance of prenatal care and suggested she visit the health center. It was there that Udeme was ultimately tested, diagnosed and treated for severe malaria.
Once Udeme was feeling better, she decided to continue her prenatal visits and give birth at the health facility – to twins!
“I am happy that I visited the health facility because that decision saved my life and that of my twins,” she says.