LIBERIA: UNFPA Identifies With Pregnant Women and Children

The United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, has provided delivery kits to mothers and children at the James Davids Hospital in Paynesville and the Phebe Hospital in Gbarnga, Bong County.

The Mama and baby kits include cloth, bucket, food and other essential materials for women and children.

UNFPA Country Representative RatidzaiNdhlovu said, the delivery kits are to ease the difficulties women encounter to obtaining these materials when they give birth in hospital.

According to the UNFPA boss, it is important that pregnant women are attracted to health centers aimed at reducing the high death rate during delivery.

She said UNFPA supports institution delivery and as such her organization will improve the condition of health facilities to ease the many difficulties women encounter particular during delivery.

"Whatever we do, whether it be family planning, whether it be fistula, whatever it is, our aim is to ensure that no woman dies during child birth, asserted the UNFPA boss.

According to her maternal health is a major concern to the organization and as such they will continue looking for funding to help pregnant women and children in Liberia.

The UNFPA boss said, the organization will ensure that medical institutions are attractive and conductive aimed at encouraging women to attend health center and give comfort to the unborn.

"We don't want pregnant women to hesitant to come to health institutions, " said the UNFPA boss and noted that the organization will make health institutions attractive to encourage pregnant women to these centers.

In Gbarnga, Bong County, the UNFPA boss personally provided several bags of rice and ago oil to pregnant women at the Phebe Maternal waiting center at the Phebe hospital.

According to her the gesture was as a result of a request made by some pregnant women during her visit to the center in November 2013.

"Each time I asked these pregnant women what is the major challenge confronting them, they just say food, food, but the policy of UNFPA is not to provide food but this is my personal contribution Madam Ratidzai Ndhlovu said.

As part of the UNFPA gesture of the Phebe hospital the organization also provided one multipurpose photocopier and a Canon printer to the Phebe Para Medical Training Institution.

Receiving the items, Bong County Health Officer Dr. Sambson Arzoaquoi said, the printer and copier provided to the Phebe Para Medical Training Institution will also ease the difficulties they encountered to help provide teaching materials for medical students particular midwifery.

"This is not a small donation, and will not be used for the intended purpose in the Liberian sense" asserted the Bong County Chief Medical officer as he smiled and showered praises on UNFPA.

Dr. Arzoaquoi also challenged pregnant women to encourage their friends to attend health centers during their pregnancy and delivery.

"All that is being done her is to tell you that you benefit a lot when you come to the hospital to deliver, we hope you will use this experience to go to you villages, towns, and tell people that the best place to go to deliver is at a hospital" lamented the Bong County Health Officer.

Currently Liberia has a high death rate amongst child bearing mothers. It is estimated that for every one thousand births, there are one hundred and ten deaths reported.

Another institution which benefited from UNFPA gesture was the James David Hospital in Paynesville.

At the center the Medical Director of the Hospital Dr. Yatta Sackie -Wapoe lauded UNFPA for their gesture, but pointed out that the institution is catering to over two hundred fifty thousand residence from neighboring communities.

She identifies the issue of space to accommodate patience as a major factor confronting the institution.

Also speaking, Deputy Minister Health Services Bernice Dahn appealed to UNPFA to support the government of Liberia effort to improve the condition of the hospital.

UNFP also rehabilitated the James Davis Health Center and promise to provide more assistance to the institution and patience.