WINDHOEK - Katima Mulilo in the Zambezi Region is next among various rural and urban centres across the country to benefit from a maternal centre when the Minister of Labour, Erkki Nghimtina, presides over the groundbreaking for this shelter at the town this Thursday.
Namibian women, particularly in the furthest remote rural areas have not only been subjected to travelling long distances to maternal health facilities but have also been facing the challenges of suitable facilities as well as transportation. These are critical challenges which have been preventing expectant mothers from accessing quality care when they most need close attention in this regard given that this is a precarious stage of their pregnancies, during child birth and post-delivery.
“The World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Regional Office for Africa in its report underscores these challenges as such: “Without access to any public transport, impoverished pregnant women from rural communities must travel substantial distances, often over 100 kilometres to reach the centres. Some set out, but have left too late, and give birth along the way. Others have when complications have set in, and it is too late to save the baby or the mother.”
Most of these impoverished women are forced to take shelters in temporary makeshift structures or even in open spaces under trees near hospitals to get the much needed maternal care. In these environs access to cooking and ablution facilities is limited or non–existent. The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) under its Programme for Accelerating the Reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality (PARMaCM) has been advocated for holistic maternal and infant health care. In its efforts to complement these efforts, the Social Security Commission (SSC), given its mission of improving the welfare of its members and beneficiaries through comprehensive social protection undertook to advance greater heights this commendable efforts of the government. In this regard, the SSC that has agreed on the request of the MoHSS to shoulder the whole initiative for the shelter has pledged N$30 million towards the construction of three maternal shelters at Outapi, Katima Mulilo and Rundu. This is in alignment with the Harambee Prosperity Plan’s objectives.
The Katima Mulilo maternal shelter expected to be completed by August 2019, will provide ante-natal care, and in the end helping with the reduction of life-threatening pregnancies related to complications such as anaemia, gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia which can be identified and monitored during the last critical months of pregnancy. The shelter is also envisaged to provide permanent employment opportunities for the socially disadvantaged unemployed in various categories such as maintenance work, cleaning, cooking, safety and security, needless to mention medical staffing for the expectant mothers.