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UNICEF
Provides Rural Communities with Ox drawn Ambulances
United
Nations Children’s Fund (Zimbabwe)
July 08, 2004
Gilstone Farm,
Seke District, 8 July, Today, in an effort to improve access to
health facilities in remote rural areas, the United Nations Children’s
Fund, UNICEF handed over three ambulances and nine ox drawn ambulances
to the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare. The ambulances are
part of an effort to improve the provision of reproductive health
services and address the urgent need to reduce maternal mortality.
Each year globally,
about 515,000 women die of pregnancy and childbirth complications.
Of these deaths, almost 99 percent occur in the developing world.
In Zimbabwe, the DHS show an increase in maternal mortality from
283 per 100,000 births in 1994 to 695 per 100,000 live births in
1999. The combination of the current economic crisis combined with
the AIDS pandemic has increased the urgency to address reproductive
health, especially in order to meet the Millennium Development Goal
to reduce maternal mortality radio by three quarters by 2015.
"The gains
made over the last twenty years to address maternal mortality, especially
to provide emergency obstetric care services, are at risk of being
lost," said Dr. Juan Ortiz, Chief of the Health, Nutrition
and Environment Section at UNICEF. "We know that most of the
complications related to childbirth are preventable if obstetric
services are available, especially in remote areas. Collectively,
we must work together to ensure that all women have their right
to a safe pregnancy and delivery guaranteed."
For every woman
who dies from complications related to childbirth, approximately
30 more suffer injuries, infections or disabilities that are usually
untreated and can cause enormous problems in their daily lives.
In Zimbabwe, about 50 percent of women have their first live birth
before the age of 20, contributing to this risk.
In many rural
communities, the average ten kilometer walk to the nearest health
facility is too far for a pregnant women, or a women already in
labor. The ambulances are intended to reduce this hurdle in some
of the remotest communities. Three ambulances, valued at $88,009.00
and funded through support from the Swedish Government (SIDA),
will be used at Chipinge, Mberengwa and Beitbridge District Hospital
to strengthen outreach and clinic referral.
The nine ox
drawn ambulances, an idea initiated by the Ministry of Health and
Child Welfare and based on the commonly used scotch carts for rural
transport, will be distributed to Makoni, Wedza, Seke, Mwenzi, Mberengwa,
Umguza, Zvimba, Gwanda and Gurve Districts. The carts will be based
in and managed by communities, with a trained cart minder, responsible
for the maintenance and use. And although all community members
will have access to the carts, priority will be given to pregnant
women and children.
Along with the
provision of transport, UNICEF is working in collaboration with
the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, WHO and UNFPA to reduce
maternal mortality. If more funding becomes available, the aim is
to provide a minimum package of services to ensure that mother and
child are healthy and safe by improving antenatal care, improving
the nutritional status of pregnant women to prevent low birth weight,
promote Intermittent Preventive Treatment such as anti malarial
treatment, connect it to prevention of parent to child transmission
of HIV, and help organize health financing, transport and communications.
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