USAID Program Throws Lifeline to Mothers, Babies
February 6th, 2018 |
Sakubva District Hospital is located in a high-density suburb in Zimbabwe. This public hospital, surrounded by large mountains, has become a safe haven for mothers and babies from remote areas who would have faced complications at birth.
The hospital houses one of the 29 kangaroo mother care units for premature babies in Manicaland Province which has been made functional through extensive training of health care workers, refurbishments, and new equipment from the JSI-supported USAID’s Maternal and Child Health Integrated Programme (MCHIP).
Through USAID/MCHIP, JSI has trained over 1,300 health care workers in Manicaland, imparting skills and knowledge necessary for routine and emergency obstetric cases, newborn care, and children’s illnesses. This has improved standards of care and health outcomes in the province.
“Prior to our work, one of the major causes of death among women was haemorrhaging—or excessive bleeding—during child birth, but now deaths related to haemorrhaging have decreased substantially,” said Rose Kambarami, the chief of party for MCHIP.
