“People don’t come if they know there aren’t medicines or vaccines. To do deliveries the bed is hard, not comfortable for a lot of women. Makes it difficult if there is a complication. Especially if it’s just me working alone.”
Midwife, Kalsagri Community Health Planning Service (CHPS)
There is a health emergency in Kalsagri, a remote collection of hamlets in the east of Lawra. The local health clinic is an sad state of disrepair, with a derelict maternity suite and virtually uninhabitable staff quarters. Water comes from a small tank filled by rainwater, which is useless in the dry season. And there is just one working power point, so the midwife helps women through birth by the light of her phone.
Just seven babies were born at Kalsagri CHPS last year. Pregnant women either made the 7km journey on bad roads to Lawra District Hospital or had potentially dangerous home births and minimal ante-natal care. We know from our work with disabled children that many conditions are related to poor nutrition and complications around birth – and are completely preventable. Neo-natal conditions are the leading cause of death in Africa (it used to be HIV/AIDS) – children under 5 account for more than 1 in 3 deaths. Overall, the picture in Kalsagri is especially bleak, with ill health, malnutrition and poor life chances established at birth. The local community told us they wanted – needed – this to change.
Today, we are delighted to announce that we have begun work on transforming the clinic, with upgraded electricals, a huge polytank to provide a reliable water supply and brand new birthing bed. Mothering kits, containing vital provisions such as a delivery sheet, disinfectant and rubber gloves, will be distributed to all pregnant women. We are we working in partnership with the Ghana Health service and they have already allocated an extra nurse!
“One of the reasons women prefer to deliver at home is because of the cost involved in delivering at the facility. The mothering kits will help encourage mothers to have a safe delivery at the clinic.” Midwife
“Health for a New Generation” is a three year project to pilot an exciting 360° approach, addressing challenges around a range of healthcare issues for young people. Building on the clinic refurb and our ongoing school feeding programme and support for disabled children, they’ll be a renewed focus on nutrition, hygiene and sanitation and health education. We’ll run workshops on regenerative farming, nutrition and reproductive health – and establish a network of community health advocates to create a culture of good health, knowledge, responsibility and support.
This is the first time we’ve tackled health head-on, and we’re so grateful to our generous funder who has made this transformational project possible. We’re excited to see how it will develop and inform our work in other locations – stay tuned for more updates!