Food hampers for expecting mothers

EXPECTING mothers in rural areas are set to receive food assistance from the Catholic Organisation for Relief and Development Aid (Cordaid).

In an interview, Cordaid Zimbabwe human resources officer Mrs Mercy Kuhudzai said the organisation was yet to identify beneficiaries through the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

She said she could not disclose the budget set aside for the programme but it has been approved.

“Our organisation is operating in 18 districts throughout the country and we will be rolling out this programme to selected wards. Under the programme we will be distributing food hampers to expecting mothers that will be admitted at waiting mother’s shelters in rural health centres. The hampers will contain food which is appropriate for them.

“The purpose of this programme is to address nutritional challenges faced by mothers who deliver at rural health centres. We are still working on logistics on how many health centres will benefit and for how long,” said Mrs Kuhudzai.

She said the target of the organisation was to ensure that all health centres within the 18 districts of their operations benefit. She said the organisation was also set to launch an electronic and mobile health application programme in clinics in Mangwe and Mutasa districts. Mrs Kuhudzai said this was a service that would ensure that expecting mothers do not miss their antenatal care visits. “Our mandate is to capacitate health facilities to ensure improved maternal and health care services. The EM health application is one of the programmes that will be implemented soon for this cause. “Mangwe and Mutasa districts have been selected to pilot the programme. Under the programme expecting mothers will receive automatic reminder messages on their mobile phones on when they are due for ANC visits and their delivery dates. This will ensure that expecting mothers don’t skip any of the necessary checkups,’’ she said. Mrs Kuhudzai said this would also help to ensure that expecting mothers deliver at health institutions. Matabeleland South provincial medical director Dr Brian Maponga confirmed that Cordaid has communicated with his ministry on the food assistance programme for expecting mothers. He said his ministry would hold an assessment of various districts to determine where food is needed the most. Dr Maponga said the programme would help to address nutritional challenges faced by expecting mothers.