UNFPA donates $156,000 worth of kit to UTH
THE United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has donated equipment worth US$156,000 to improve the maternal healthcare at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH).Among the things donated include manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) kits, operating tables, theatre lights, operating diathermy, ultra-sound machine, pelvic models and contraceptives.
Presenting the donation to Minister of Health, Angela Cifire, at the UTH yesterday, UNFPA goodwill ambassador, Geri Halliwell, said it was sad that maternal mortality rates were unacceptably high even though they could be prevented.
Ms Halliwell a former member of the all-female UK singing group, Spice Girls, said maternal death could be overcome with intensified education for women especially in maternal related matters.
"We need equal opportunities for women so that they have the power to take their health in their own hands," said Ms Halliwell.
She commended midwives for their efforts in improving maternal health care, adding that they were a living example to other women in Zambia and other places.
And UNFPA country representative Deji Popoola said motherhood in Africa was almost a crime because of the huge cost that followed it.
Dr Popoola said UNFPA was happy to be associated with championing the cause of safe motherhood.
"The cost of having a baby in Africa is so huge that sometimes, we end up losing both the mother and the baby if adequate care is not taken," he said.
Dr Popoola added that levels of maternal mortality were unacceptably high especially that they were preventable.
"There are about 700 deaths in women out of every 100,000 live births and most of the deaths are in teenage mothers," he said.
Dr Popoola said to reverse the trend, there was need for concerted efforts in ensuring availability of skill service personnel.
He said this was why UNFPA was involved in maternal training being offered at UTH because they realised that skilled human resource was cardinal in combating maternal mortality.
Ms Cifire thanked UNFPA for the gesture, saying it would help solve a lot of barriers that were faced in delivering efficient maternal health care.
She also thanked UNFPA for donating contraceptives because family planning was a key component in safe motherhood.
And UTH managing director, Tackson Lambart, said the donations were timely because UTH, being the largest referral hospital, was entrusted with the task of delivering cost-effective health care to all citizens in the country.
Dr Lambart, however, said this could only be possible with improved capacity in all four major clinical discipline including obstetrician and gynaecology where the equipment was donated.
He assured the minister and UNFPA that the donation would go a long way in assisting patients at the hospital.
Dr Lambart also challenged other organizations to emulate UNFPA by making similar donations.
[Daily Mail]
