‘Exceptional work being done year after year through NPL Mothers Fun Run safe motherhood initiative’—UNFPA

* The Mother’s Fun Run initiative resonates with the UN’s mission and aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3 of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being

* This year, we are especially proud to partner with Chikwawa District, providing much-needed support to maternal and neonatal health programs

By Duncan Mlanjira

United Nations Population Agency (UNFPA) Country Representative, Nelida Rodrigues describes as “exceptional work being done year after year” by Nations Publications Limited’s Mothers Fun Run safe motherhood initiative.

She said this on Saturday when UNFPA joined stakeholders and sponsors of Mothers’ Fun Run for the official handover of state-of-the-art maternal and neonatal healthcare equipments for Chikwawa District Hospital and all its surrounding health centres.

UNFPA contributed equipment worth K38,946 million and Rodrigues said on behalf of the United Nations partners in Malawi, she was deeply honored to have attended the official handover, further describing the Mothers Fun Run as a “remarkable annual event”.

“The Mother’s Fun Run initiative resonates with the UN’s mission and aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3 of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being,” she said.

“This year, we are especially proud to partner with Chikwawa District, providing much-needed support to maternal and neonatal health programs. We applaud the exceptional work being done year after year by Nations Publications Limited, under the visionary leadership of Ms. Mbumba Banda, in collaboration with the Government of Malawi.

“Your dedication to improving maternal health outcomes is commendable, especially during these times of global financial strain that have heavily impacted healthcare systems, including right here in Malawi.”

She added that the statistics underscore the urgency of all stakeholders efforts as Malawi’s maternal mortality ratio stands at a sobering 375 per 100,000 live births.

“While we strive to bring this figure down to 140 per 100,000 by 2030, we acknowledge the hurdles that remain,” Rodrigues said. “The recent Confidential Inquiry into Maternal Deaths (2022/23) has revealed sepsis as the leading cause of maternal mortality — a stark reminder of the work still to be done in ensuring safe and quality maternal care for all women.

“This is why today’s event and the support it generates are so critical. It’s through efforts like these, with the collaboration of both public and private sectors, that we can ensure no woman dies from preventable causes during childbirth.”

The various stakeholders involved in the promotion of mother healthcare campaign included: World Vision Malawi (with equipment worth K145,945 million); executives who experienced challenges faced at 14 maternity health centres through what is called ‘Sleepovers’ (K43,864 million); Press Trust (K20 million); Limbe Rotary Club (K12.2 million); Malawi Gaming & Lotteries Authority (10 million); EY (K10 million); Alliance One (K8.58 million).

Gift of the Givers contributed K8 million; National Bank of Malawi (K7 million); Else Boonstra (K6.642 million) and at K5 million each were FDH Bank; Reunion Insurance; NICO Holdings; Malawi Law Society, Nations Publications.

Infraworks gave 4.692 million; Old Mutual (K4 million); Ethco (K3 million); World Bank employees (K2.771 million); Mpatamanga Hydro Power Limited (K2.6 million); National Construction Industry (K2.5 million); AirCargo (K2.5 million); EU delegation (K2 million); Deloitte K2 million) and Nation Publications staff (K790,000).

Thus, Rodrigues acknowledged that “the commitment shown by bringing together key stakeholders for initiatives like the fundraising sleepover demonstrates, the unwavering dedication to this cause.

“The UN is proud to stand with you in this endeavor. I am especially pleased to share that our UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Rebecca Adda-Dontoh, joined the Sleepover Challenge right here at Ngabu Community Rural Hospital, Chikwawa.

“She was accompanied by IOM Representative Ms. Nomagugu Ncube, as well as colleagues from FAO, WHO, and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office.

“Together, they donated much-needed items to the maternity ward and to the mothers and newborns in the hospital. This powerful gesture of solidarity — ‘Walking in her shoes’ — exemplifies our empathy and understanding of the challenges faced by midwives and pregnant women in remote areas as they seek maternal healthcare.

“The UN’s engagement in maternal health goes beyond mere support. We are deeply involved in addressing the real challenges women encounter every day.”

UNFPA medical equipment and supplies contribution is towards improving infection control in theatres, enhancing long-term family planning services and expanding comprehensive abortion care.

Rodrigues indicated that in 2023, Chikwawa District provided post-abortion care to 1,617 women, with 38% of maternal deaths linked to complications from unsafe abortions.

“The manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) kits we’ve provided will help up to 7,500 women access lifesaving services. Moreover, the family planning supplies we’ve contributed will increase the district’s contraceptive prevalence rate, positively impacting couple years of protection.

“Altogether, these contributions will strengthen Chikwawa District’s health services and ensure that no woman is left behind in accessing maternal healthcare.

“We deeply commend Nations Publications Limited for their unwavering commitment to this cause. Your ability to rally so many partners in support of maternal health is nothing short of inspiring.

“As we stand united today, I join the District Commissioner and the people of Chikwawa in expressing heartfelt thanks to all of you for your incredible support.

“We trust that the Chikwawa District Council, through the District Health Office, will make the best use of these provisions to ensure top-quality maternal and neonatal healthcare is delivered across both government and mission health facilities.

“Together, we are working towards a future where every woman, no matter where she lives, can give birth safely and with dignity. Let us continue this journey, side by side, to ensure that no one is left behind.”

Also present at the auspicious occasion were Standard Bank Head of Legal & Governance, Norah Nsanja as guest of honour; Chikwawa District Commissioner, Nardin Kamba; chief of health services-reforms, Dr. Matias Joshua; director of health services in Chikwawa, Dr. Grace Momba; World Vision’ acting director of business development & grants management, Dr. John FosterJill Moyo.

As well as Press Trust trustee, Audrey Mwala; Senior Chief Chapananga, Sleepover volunteers led by Dr. Nancy Chitera, who is Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Malawi University of Science & Technology (MUST) NPL Board chairperson, Masankho Banda; his chief executive officer (CEO) Mbumba Banda and several others.

On her part, Mbumba shared a sad story of a young woman from Kajawo Village in Chikwawa who arrived at Gaga Health Centre to give birth but at some point her uterus raptured and began to bleed profusely.

She said the young woman needed urgent surgery but could not be performed at the health centre because, despite being fully qualified to render their medical expertise, the medical team could not because they did not have the necessary equipment.

They called for an ambulance from Chikwawa District Hospital but due to poor road conditions, the ambulance took over three hours to arrive and they rushed to nearby referral, Mwanza District Hospital but after assessing that her condition had deteriorated, they made a further decision to send her to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre.

“Sadly she lost her life as well as that of the baby on the way to Blantyre,” said Mbumba, adding: “This heart-wrenching story is not unique. In fact, there are similar countless stories from across the country — all highlighting the need for government, organisations in the private sector, NGOs, CSOs, the donor community like you or me to rally behind safe motherhood initiatives and ensure public health centres are self-sufficient as possible — bringing maternal and neonatal health services to communities and ensuring timely medical interventions.”

She cited that Chikwawa was chosen for this year’s campaign after taking cognizance that the district’s maternal and neonatal rates are above the national average — 349 per 100,000 live births as the maternal mortality rate as 12 per 1 million live births as neonatal morality rate.

“There are also visible scars of cyclone damage to the road network and health facility infrastructure besides the feeling of discomfort from the extreme heat.

“In addition, we learnt about the sharp rise in teenage pregnancies, with girls as young as 10 falling pregnant, and the youth aged between 10 and 24 years contributing approximately 20% of maternal mortality rates in the district — and this percentage is steadily rising.”

She further explained that most communities in Chikwawa are located far from health facilities with some expectant mothers having to walk “several grueling” long distances to access antenatal, labor & delivery and postnatal services.

“This is further exacerbated by the conspicuous absence of waiting homes across the district, yet women are advised to come and wait it out at the hospital or health centre from the 8th month of their pregnancies.

“We heard from a young mother at Makhuwira Health Centre who waited until she was in labour to begin her 30-minute walk under the scorching sun to the health centre.

“With transportation costs soaring at K800 for a one-way bicycle ride and K1,000 for a one-way motorbike ride, the young lady could not afford the fare as the little money she had earned from ganyu was to be used to buy ulusi to tie the umbilical cord, a razor blade to cut the umbilical cord and a plastic sheet for use during her delivery.

“Similar stories were shared by many of our mothers in Chikwawa,” Mbumba said, adding that most health centres lacked vital sign monitoring equipment such as BP cuffs — yet complications from hypertensive conditions contribute significantly to maternal mortality.

“Hermacues to access blood levels are also lack yet postnatal hemorrhaging is the leading cause of maternal mortality. We have been to different health facilities in all six referral zones where we have observed a shortage of maternal and neonatal health equipment.

“Such as proper delivery beds needed for quick maneuvering and safer deliveries; radiant warmer resuscitaire to help keep newborns warmer and able to breath; penguins suckers to clear airwaves and enable babies to breathe; and vacuum extractors to help deliver babies in foetal distress quickly in order to access and determine underlying cause of distress and treat it.

“We have seen delivery packs requiring 12 different instruments but only containing two and we have even heard about there being limited oxygen concentrators and medical staff having the dilemma of literally having to decide which lives to proactively save under the circumstances.”

At main referral Chikwawa District Hospital, Mbumba said the NPL assessment team discovered problems of sterilisation where each caesarean section set in the theatre is boiled in water using gas, with each cycle running for about an hour.

“In the same hour, an autoclave would have sterilised up to seven sets! We were told about occasions when the district health office received case after case that was critical in nature, however, the theatre had come to a standstill as they waited for theatre sets to be sterilised in order to perform the next procedure.

“I couldn’t help but think of the women waiting to be operated on and the consequences of that wait. I thought about the babies in foetal distress and the consequences because emergency caesarean sections could not be performed on time.”

In coming up with the Mothers Fun Run initiative some 19 years ago, a story from the Bible, Mark 2:3-5, caught Mbumba’s attention in which four men brought down a paralysed in Jesus after creating a roof of a house because they couldn’t bring him closer due to the crowd that gathered to hear Jesus’ sermon.

“In much the same way, I knew that that ensuring the success of this year’s campaign, given the magnitude of the challenges, would take a collective effort from different stakeholders.

“After all, Robert F. Kennedy confidently said: ‘It is not more bigness that should be our goal. We must attempt, rather, to bring people back to the warm community, to the worth of individual effort and responsibility, and of the individuals working together as a community, to better their lives and their children’s future’.”

She thus profoundly thanked the stakeholders involved that assisted to procure the equipment — while at the same time announcing that for next year’s Mothers Fun Run campaign targeted for Kasungu District,“the core issues will undoubtedly be the same, however, the impact of those challenges on maternal and neonatal health will have its own unique story”.

“The Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and MW2063 agenda call for maternal mortality to be reduced to 70 per 100,000 live births, while the neonatal mortality rate must be reduced to 12/1,000 live births.

“Allow me to leave you all with a reflection from Howard Zinn, who once said: ‘Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world’.”