MHub founder calls for concerted efforts to improve maternal health
Founder of MHub—a local technology and innovation firm—Rachel Sibande has said expectant women face challenges before and during delivery which government alone cannot solve.
Speaking when she presented a symbolic K5 million cheque to Nation Publications Limited (NPL) prior to her Mother’s Fun Run (MFR) Sleepover challenge, Sibande said individuals and various stakeholders have a role to play in saving lives.
MFR is an NPL initiative meant to mobilise resources to support public health facilities as one way of fostering safe motherhood and reducing maternal deaths.
Said Sibande: “I have had the privilege and honour of safely delivering my children, but also being birthed safely. I believe that no mother should die giving birth. It is for this reason that when I heard of this initiative, I took up the challenge as I realised that I have an obligation to use the space I find myself in to raise funds and contribute to the cause.”
Thyolo District Council director of health and social services Arnold Jumbe thanked MHub for the support and commended NPL for the MFR initiative.
“We are grateful for the gesture demonstrated by these Malawians of goodwill to join this cause which goes a long way in benefiting public hospitals. We are told this year Nkhata Bay is benefiting from the funds, but the little we are also getting from the sleepover challenge shall go a long way in easing problems faced in this facility,” he said.
NPL advertising sales manager Gift Sibale thanked the firm for the support.
She said NPL has been running the MFR project for the past 18 years following the devastating stories of maternal deaths in the country.
“We call upon other well-wishers to join the cause because together we can reduce maternal deaths and promote safe motherhood in the country,” she said.
On her sleepover challenge, Sibande said it was an amazing yet a depressing experience where she witnessed expectant women safely delivering their babies in dire situations.
She commended Thyolo District Hospital healthcare professionals for their efforts to save lives of expectant women and their newborn babies.
“The dedication and passion for the health care workers here cannot go unnoticed. It can at time be frustrating working with unlimited resources, but the health workers here are managing,” she said.
During the sleepover, Sibande who was accompanied by her mother, Ethel Chavula also donated assorted items, including soap and chitenje wrappers to the mothers.
Thyolo District Hospital safe motherhood coordinator Barbara Thembakako said the facility, which delivers about 30 women in a day, lacks basic equipment and needs a waiting home for antenatal mothers.
She said the building, which is split into antenatal, labour ward, postnatal and nursery, houses patients and guardians beyond its capacity, forcing some to sleep on the floor or share a bed.
The MFR initiative takes place annually in October as part of the Mother’s Day commemoration. And this year, NPL targets to raise K200 million through the MFR slated for October 7 2023 in Nkhata Bay.
This is an increase from about K100 million worth of donations collected and directed to Dowa District Hospital last year.
