Monday, 13 May 2013

CHAMA AND SERENJE DISTRICTS’ PLIGHT FOR QUALITY HEALTH CARE DELIVERY RECOGNISED


By Victor Kanguya,
Children are a very vital part of society; their well being and that of their mothers should be taken into account in order to achieve sustainable social, economic and political development. In a bid to achieve this, the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health (MCDMCH) with its cooperating partners on Tuesday 7th May, 2013 handed over two new Ambulances to Serenje and Chama Districts. This donation was aimed at increasing the country’s momentum in achieving the millennium development goals 1, 4 and 5, with the help of the H4+ CIDA program.
Despite the numerous efforts being made by the Government and its cooperating partners, access to quality maternal and newborns health care has continued to remain a major challenge for most sub Saharan African countries. In Zambia alone, it is estimated that approximately eight women die each day due to pregnancy and child birth and forty eight newborns die due to prematurity complications during delivery and infections. Ill equipment and lack of trained personnel in hospitals especially in farfetched areas has been cited as one of the major barriers to achieving quality health care for Women and children in the country.
Zambia being a United Nations UN member state is required to make efforts to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In order to achieve this, Government has partnered with various stakeholders in realizing these goals particularly MDG 4 and 5 targets: where the country is expected to make strides in reducing child mortality rates by two thirds and improve maternal health among others. On Tuesday, Government and its cooperating partners launched the 2013 MDG report. During the launch, it was noted that though the country had achieved much, there was need to accelerate efforts in reducing child mortality rates. The report also highlighted major achievements so far such as the reduction in Child Mortality by 30 percent. However it was observed that Zambia will not be able to achieve the MDG on maternal mortality at the current pace the country is taking.
In a bid to help attain MDGs 4 and 5, various activities are being undertaken. One such program is the H4+ CIDA program. The H4+ CIDA program is comprised of UNICEF, WHO, UNAIDS, UNFPA and the World Bank. The program has been supporting the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health and the Ministry of Health since 2012 to accelerate progress towards maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality reduction in Chama, Chadiza, Serenje, Lukulu and Kalabo districts.
UNICEF Zambia Country Representative, Dr. Iyorlumum J. Uhaa said the project aims to strengthen healthcare systems and improve access to quality Reproductive Maternal Neonatal and Child Health (RMNCH) services. He further said, UNICEF is supporting the five districts in order to accelerate progress towards maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality to enable Government address gaps in the mentioned districts, He said in his speech.
Delivery of quality health care services is vital for the country’s development. Government through the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health is involved in a number of programs to address the challenge of maternal and child health in the country. During the handover of the two ambulances, Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health Hon. Jean Kapata reiterated government’s commitment in providing quality health care services in the country. She also said the ambulances could not have come at a better time and the gesture must be highly recommended. “These Ambulances have been given to them to accelerate maternal health and prevent unnecessary deaths because no Woman should die while giving birth no matter where they live”, she said.
Despite the acknowledgement that Zambia will not be able to achieve MDG goals on Child Mortality and Maternal Health, the country should still continue to strive and meet these goals. All stakeholders should ensure mothers are healthy all the times in order to reduce on emergencies and save the lives of children and their mothers. The Children’s News Agency with support from European Union

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