ZAMBIA – The Government of Zambia has secured maternal and new-born health equipment worth US$64,184 from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
UNICEF, in partnership with Sweden’s government agency, handed over the maternal and new-born health equipment to the Women and Newborn Teaching Hospital at a ceremony with the Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary for Technical Services, Prof. Lackson Kasonka.
Once fully operational, the equipment for emergency obstetric theatre will help address one of the critical equipment gaps for emergency obstetric care at the Women and Newborn Hospital that was identified as a high priority area to be addressed for improving maternal and new-born survival.
The donated maternal and new-born health equipment including an operation theatre table, patient monitors, anaesthesia machine and new-born resuscitaire will reduce the waiting time for C-sections and emergency obstetric procedures at the Zambian hospital.
The United Nations Children’s Fund disclosed that the current support for the obstetric theatre equipment is co-funded by UNICEF using its core resources while Sweden funded support for new-born care equipment.
The programme through the Ministry of Health, Sweden and UNICEF partnership has simultaneously addressed both the humanitarian needs of a Public Health Emergency response for COVID-19 and the development efforts of sustaining the continuity of routine essential health services, including focusing on health system strengthening and systems resilience support.
In addition, UNICEF and Sweden have partnered to support improved coverage and quality of perinatal and essential new-born care involving procurement of medical equipment and training of doctors and nurses to strengthen essential new-born care services.
The partnership will also establish centres of excellence for essential new-born care across seven hospitals in Lusaka, Eastern, Southern and Luapula provinces of Zambia in a move that will boost the quality of essential new-born care services to an estimated 4,000 new-born babies in the hospitals.
Zambia’s Ministry of Health, Sweden and UNICEF partnership has simultaneously addressed both the humanitarian needs of a Public Health Emergency response for COVID-19 and the development efforts of sustaining the continuity of routine essential health services.
“UNICEF is working closely with the Ministry of Health’s Women and Newborn Unit team at the University Teaching Hospital to set up a Centre of Excellence,” the United Nations agency further revealed.
UNICEF Representative, Penelope Campbell lauded Sweden for stepping in to support the Ministry of Health in strengthening essential new-born care services, noting that Sweden’s support shows a remarkable commitment towards improving children’s lives.
Penelope Campbell cautioned that while the agency has seen progress in reducing infant and under-five deaths, neonatal mortality showed an increase in the last Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) from 24 per 1,000 live births in 2013-14 to 27 in 2018.
She pointed out that an estimated 17,000 new-borns die each year in Zambia while highlighting that the recent contribution will be crucial to reducing preventable maternal and new-born deaths as well as still births.
Head of Development Cooperation, Embassy of Sweden, Susanna Hughes emphasized that maternal and new-born health is a key priority for Sweden , adding that it makes the agency very proud to know that its contribution will help save the lives of many mothers and children in Zambia.
“Our commitment to improve the lives of those in need in this country is firm and we hope that this contribution including the equipment, the training and the creation of centres of excellence will make a difference,” Susanna Hughes said.
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