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Blossoming Dreams: Building the future of rural maternity care

September 8, 2023

The Churches Health Association of Zambia CHAZ with financial support from Stanbic Banks has commenced the construction of a modern maternity Annex and a mothers’ shelter at Makunka Mission Rural Health Centre in Kazungula district.

CHAZ staff with the Contractor (In Blue Cap)  on-site at Makunka Rural Health Center

The project costing about two million kwacha is aimed at creating a conducive and safe environment for Maternal and Child Health Services.

Makunka Mission Rural Health Centre in charge sister Constancia Lungu disclosed that they are currently finding it difficult to render quality Maternity services to the community due to inadequate infrastructure, with only one delivery bed and two mothers’ beds, forcing mothers and new-born babies to be staying in the same room.

Makunka Mission Rural Health Centre in-charge Sr Constancia Lungu

This has resulted in many mothers resorting to delivering from home, putting their lives and that of the newborn babies at risk.

It is under these circumstances that the Churches Health Association of Zambia in partnership with Stanbic Bank have decided to construct a modern maternity Annex and a mother’s shelter at the Health Centre.

The new maternity Annex will have delivery rooms with two delivery beds, antenatal rooms, and postnatal care rooms with a capacity to accommodate four beds each.

The site earmarked for this project was on Thursday 31st of August 2023 handed over to Simu Construction Limited, to kick start construction.

The contractor (in a blue cap) discusses the site plan with the provincial health planner (in a dark blue t-shirt) and engineer from CHAZ (in a yellow t-shirt) as the Sister-In-Charge looks on.

The health facility management as well as members of the community could not hide their joy as this move will bring about a change in their lives and those of their children.

This project has been made possible following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Churches Health Association of Zambia and Stanbic Bank involving Six Million Kwacha with the aim of helping to reduce cases of maternal mortality in Zambia. The number of mothers dying during childbirth remains unacceptably high.

The two partners are working towards the creation of a world where no woman dies while giving birth. The partnership intends to construct Maternal health infrastructure at three health centres.