Why Do We Need A Mother & Child Centre?
Maternal mortality is still astonishingly high, every day approximately 830 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, and 99% of these deaths occur in developing countries where women live in rural areas and poorer communities (WHO).
Kikavu is a rural community in Northern Tanzania with approximately 12,000 residents. We established our clinic in 2016 to provide accessible, affordable and quality healthcare to the locals and we are now expanding to offer specialist care to mother’s and children.
We will be offering affordable and effective treatments, education programmes and addressing causes of infant and maternal mortality such as poor nutrition, sanitation and vaccinations.
What effect do malnutrition and sanitation have?
Malnutrition has a major effect on the health, growth and development of a person. A mother who is malnourished will likely birth a child who is underweight and therefore at risk of infant mortality. In turn, both mother and child are more susceptible to contracting frequent infections and their education, concentration and cognitive achievement can also be impacted.
Access to clean drinking water and safe hygiene practices are fundamental to the health and survival rates of mothers and children. Poor sanitation can lead to contracting diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections, both of which impact the growth and development of children and contribute to 40% of under-five deaths internationally (WaterAid, 2008).
When will Health Amplifier be providing these services?
Progress is already well underway and our architect is currently drawing up plans as we speak having done a lot of research into our sites and the needs of the community. We aim to have all the completed designs by the end of the year, to start construction at the start of the new year. We plan to have the centre up and running with all the medical equipment and trained staff by the start of Summer 2018.
I would like to help, how can I do this?
We are so grateful for everyone that has been donating and helping us fundraise for this fantastic cause. If you would like to donate please click the button below, and choose “Mother and Child Unit” in the campaign section.