Health
Improving Quality and Access to Mother and Child healthcare in Western Province, Zambia
Grant: Improving Quality and Access to Mother and Child healthcare in Western Province, Zambia
Implementation period: 2013-2014
Implementing partner: Caritas CZ
Budget for the year 2013: 3 800 000 CZK
Budget for the year 2014: 4 000 000 CZK
14/2014/01
(IDENTIFIKAČNÍ ČÍSLO)
7 800 000 CZK
(CELKOVÝ PŘEDPOKLÁDANÝ ROZPOČET)
2013 - 2014
(DOBA REALIZACE)
The objective of the project is to contribute to meeti the MDG 4, 5 and 6 in Western Province, Zambia. The target of the project is to improve the quality of mother and child healthcare through support of health infrastructure, capacity building and midwifery education in Mongu District of Western Province. In specific, the capacities of Lewanika Midwifery School are going to be strengthened and expanded and the quality of provided education enhanced. The currently given course of Enrolled Midwifery will be transformed to higher educational level as a course of Registered Midwifery, which is currently not available in the Western Province at all. The project cooperation with Lewanika General Hospital will lead to joint reconstruction of recently constructed building in order to establish and make fully operational a single Maternity Block. The capacities of health professionals and workers of the hospital, affiliated rural health centers and volunteer Safe Motherhood Action Groups in Mongu District and Kaoma District are going to be supported.

Apart from material assistance, the Caritas Czech Republic will primarily focus on building human capacities at all levels of healthcare in Western Province, including improving the cooperation among them so that long-term sustainability of quality mother and child healthcare is secured and the mortality rates of mothers, newborns and under-five-children are decreased. Support of the only midwifery school in the province will also contribute to securing sufficient numbers of highly qualified midwives that will be able to further disseminate the experience and knowledge acquired while on practical trainings in the project intervention localities.

Activities running in 2013 include for example preparation of a baseline study about the quality of provided education at Lewanika Midwifery School, followed by trainings for teachers and students, furthermore purchase of educational materials, equipment of classrooms and library at Lewanika Midwifery School, and reconstruction and transformation of the Staff Unit at Lewanika General Hospital to Birth Unit.