The Merlin charity has recently opened four new maternity waiting homes across the Kweke district of Zimbabwe. These homes are perfect for pregnant women to stay in before they give birth as they are only minutes away from trained health workers. With up to eight women dying every day due to complications during birth, these maternity homes will not only provide shelter, but also save lives.
With Zimbabwe witnessing a dramatic decline in health service delivery over the last 10 years, Merlin is now working with the internal Ministry of Health to try and help increase survival rates during childbirth. The harsh reality is that without these homes, pregnant women will have to travel miles on foot to reach a health facility before going into labour, putting extra strain on both mother and child.
Merlin’s Director of Health and Policy, Linda Doull, said –
These waiting homes provide a crucial safety net for women who would have otherwise given birth at home, often alone or with an untrained birth attendant. They will help to lower both child and maternal mortality.
Each maternity waiting home can accommodate up to eight women, and has bedrooms, cooking and laundry facilities, plus a toilet and shower. The waiting homes were also created using contractors from the local community, and built with locally sourced materials. More of these homes are being planned to help prevent unnecessary maternal deaths, so if you would like to make a donation to help fund this amazing project, simply click on the link below to make a pledge.
