Church joins crusade to cut Malawi’s childbirth death rate
A CHURCH congregation has entered into a unique partnership to tackle maternal mortality in one of the poorest countries in the world.
Polwarth Parish Church in Edinburgh has signed a three-year agreement with the healthcare charity EMMS International – the first of its kind to support the training of registered nurse midwives in Malawi.
The African country has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, with 634 girls and women dying per 100,000 live births.
By comparison, the maternal mortality rate in the UK is nine per 100,000 live births.
A significant factor contributing to the mortality rate in Malawi
is a shortage of registered nurse midwives.
A total of 84 per cent of the population live in remote areas far from access to healthcare and there are only four nurse midwives per 10,000 people, according to the healthcare charity.
Rev Jack Holt, minister at Polwarth Parish Church, said: “We are very pleased to be able to support this vital programme which will help provide more trained midwives in Malawi and hopefully ensure more live births as a consequence. It will drive our congregation’s motivation to fundraise and pray over the next three years for EMMS International’s work.”
The money raised by worshippers at Polwarth will go into a pot which will sponsor 12 students in total at Ekwendeni College of Health Sciences and reduce the overall cost of the course.
The charity is hoping to set up similar partnerships with other congregations.
The partnership came about after Rev Holt was approached by Rev James Petticrew, the church relationship manager for EMMS International.
Mr Petticrew said: “This partnership is about bringing about health and hope for thousands of people who would otherwise face a very different future.”