In an effort to improve health outcomes for mothers and newborns, women throughout Zambia are strongly encouraged to give birth in health care facilities. Those who choose to give birth in their homes often do so without skilled care, which increases the risks for complications and infections. This can lead to higher occurrences of maternal and infant mortality.
In order to comply with local public health recommendations, the Lutheran Mission Rural Health Centre, operated by the Central Africa Medical Mission (CAMM) in Mwembezhi, Zambia, educates women on the importance of delivering at a health care facility and incentivizes women who give birth at the clinic. Since many women walk long distances to get to this clinic, mothers are encouraged to arrive there a couple days ahead of their anticipated due date. Our clinic is staffed 24 hours a day to provide care for women as they arrive. The women are able to stay in the recently renovated mother’s shelter until it is time to deliver, and then again for a few days after their baby is born. CAMM is also in the process of constructing an ablution block, which is a building that will have sinks, toilets, and showers, on the clinic site. This building will provide the new mothers with an opportunity to have running water available to shower after their delivery.
Did you know that around 150 babies are born at the Lutheran Mission Rural Health Centre each year? Thanks to many generous donors across WELS, each of these women receives a gift package after their baby is born. This gift consists of a baby blanket, onesies, a hat, and other newborn items that have been included in parcels that WELS members send to the clinic.
While the Lutheran Mobile Clinic that CAMM operates in Malawi is run much differently from the clinic in Zambia, and does not offer services for delivering babies, it does provide both pre- and post-natal care. Similar to Zambia, new mothers coming to the clinic in Malawi are educated on the importance of delivering in a health care facility. It is always exciting when mothers bring their newborns to clinic for the first time! At these visits, the mothers are given a similar gift of a newborn layette.
CAMM is so thankful for the support. It is great for these mothers to know that there are people halfway across the world who care about them and pray for them, and even more importantly that God is watching over them each and every day!
If you would like more information on how to support the work of CAMM in Zambia and Malawi, please visit www.camm.us.
Written by Kate Wood, executive director of the Central Africa Medical Mission
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