NGO wants communities to report abuse
A maternal health organisation, White Ribbon Alliance, has called on communities in Dowa to be in the forefront in the fight against maternal mortality by reporting any abuse to relevant authorities.
The organisation’s national coordinator Nancy Kamwendo said this on Thursday at Mponela in the district during the orientation of alliance for safe motherhood committees.
She said it was only when the members were drilled in maternal health rights that they can detect maternal abuse and demand quality maternal care services from duty-bearers.
“We would like to see to it that women are being accorded a respectful maternal healthcare in line with respecting Maternal Care Charter,” said Kamwendo
She observed that most women were shunning maternal care services in some hospitals because of lack of respect by some hospital personnel.
“We are happy that we have empowered them so that when their right to respectful maternal care is being infringed, they should know where to go,” Kamwendo said.
She added: “We want our member groups to know the role of a midwife at any health facility and that they should be assisted by a skilled midwife.”
White Ribbon Alliance Dowa Chapter chairperson Gift Mwale commended the organisation for the training which he said will help communities have the right information on safe motherhood.
White Ribbon Alliance is an international group advocating for safe motherhood as one way of promoting maternal and neo-natal health.
In Malawi, it is working in seven districts, namely Chitipa, Mzimba, Kasungu, Dowa, Dedza, Mangochi and Mulanje, with support from United States Agency for International Development.n
