Radio calls to curb maternal mortality in Ngorongoro
IN an effort to combat clinical maternal and child mortality in remote parts of Ngorongoro, the Agency for Cooperation and Research Development (ACORD) has distributed sets of radio call equipment to ease communication in the vast district.
Research conducted by ACORD in Ngorongoro recently, indicates that the district records at least 115 child deaths from every 1,000 births, with many of these deaths being caused by inaccessible health services due to poor infrastructure, unavailable means of communication and few, far located and poorly equipped, health centres.
Also, at least 600 out of 100,000 expectant mothers in the district die shortly before or while delivering their babies due to the said lack of maternal services in Ngorongoro.
Radio calls will enable fast communication between dispensaries and health centres in the district whose most parts are yet to be covered with cellular phone services.
The radio calls together with other maternity wards equipment for safe-delivery were distributed across the district during the launch of a special campaign to eradicate mother-and-child deaths in Ngorongoro as well as combating HIV/Aids infections in the vicinity.
The campaign was officially launched by the District Commissioner, Mr Elias Wawa Lali, in Loliondo. Traditional midwives are responsible for over 80 per cent of deliveries in Ngorongoro which, according to experts, their services are sometimes found wanting.
Midwife skills impacting to both official and traditional nurses will be carried out in 18 out of 26 wards in the district as well as a number of dispensaries in the locality, which will all be equipped with newly installed radio calls.
ACORD Coordinator, Mr Lokola Ndibalema said the new campaign addresses millennium development goals number 4 and 5 aimed at reducing maternal and child mortality before, during and after delivery time.
ACORD and its partners, the Ngorongoro Non-Government Organizations Network (NGONET) are implementing an innovative programme to increase access to integrated sexual and reproductive health services for women and adolescent girls and reduce maternal and child mortality.
This is being done in close collaboration with district health authorities.
Article Originally Published on Daily News Tanzania