Letters to the Editor Giving life in a disaster

and their unborn babies at greater risk. They needed emergency assistance at a time their community had lost a war with nature.

Others had a history of post-partum haemorrhaging with previous deliveries and were required to give birth at a referral hospital to attend to complications in a timely manner.

Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are leading causes of death and disability among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Zimbabwe.

To avert deaths, Government through assistance by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has been airlifting expecting mothers affected by Cyclone Idai to referral hospitals that include Chipinge and Mutambara.

Here, the mothers stay in mothers waiting shelters from where they are also given food through the World Food Programme as they wait to deliver. Good nutrition during pregnancy is important to the mother and the unborn baby’s growth and development.

Mothers waiting shelters at hospitals have numerous benefits for women. In the shelters, mothers can wait so that, when they go into labour or develop antenatal complications, they can transfer to the hospital wards for management and safe delivery.

While UNFPA was already providing technical and financial support to the government through the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) towards the reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality, Cylone Idai presented an unexpected new challenge which needed urgent attention. Given that maternal mortality in Zimbabwe currently stands at 614 deaths per 100 000 live births, one of the highest maternal mortality rates worldwide, ensuring that affected pregnant women had a safe delivery became a priority.

At Chimanimani Clinic, 281 pregnancies are expected in 2019 while expected births stand at 225. Even though they have a mothers waiting shelter, they have referred five women with high risk pregnancies to Chipinge and two to Mutambara.

Airlifting high risk pregnant women affected by Cyclone Idai to bigger and more equipped health institutions is important as they receive emergency interventions when needed.

One woman airlifted to Mutambara Hospital is eight month pregnant Maria Mlambo of Kopa area. Kopa is one of the worst affected areas in Chimanimani which is still cut off.

She had registered the pregnancy at their local clinic and was eager to go to the mothers waiting shelter at Chipinge Provincial Hospital since she had complications with all her other four pregnancies. When Cyclone Idai came, she lost everything, her home, food and clothing she had bought in preparation for the unborn baby. Their community was cut off as roads and bridges were destroyed.

Just like many others affected by the floods, she was also initially trying to survive the disaster by finding food, water, and shelter.

She was stuck in Kopa until when she was airlifted to Chipinge Provincial Hospital.

Angeline Simango (19) of Dzingire village in Kopa Chimanimani who is nine months pregnant lost everything in the floods.

Since it is her first pregnancy which is regarded high risk, she is also housed at Chipinge mothers waiting shelter awaiting delivery. To get there, she first boarded a lorry carrying bananas and then a bus.

“I panicked and thought the helicopter would get here late and my delivery date is nearing. That is why I ended up not waiting for the helicopter. I was scared of giving birth at home. I have been told why it is important to give birth in a health facility,” she said.

Elizabeth Maonde (32) of Chikukwa Village, Chief Chikukwa area was also airlifted to Mutambara Mission Hospital. She only managed to leave her falling house with one set of baby clothes. Everything else went with the water.

At Mutambara Mission Hospital, four fulltime monitors observe the women staying in the shelter round the clock. The shelter also has a resting room with a television set and couch. In the resting room a few steps from the mothers waiting shelter is a standby delivery bed for emergencies.

Then there was six month pregnant Stella Dirikwe (19) of New Stands in Ngangu who was asleep when disaster struck. Desperate to save her unborn child and self, she jumped to what she thought was safety through a small window injuring her left leg in the process. Outside she was almost swept by the aggressive tide.

All the clothes she bought in preparation of her unborn baby were swept by the water.

Today she is housed at Chimanimani Hotel and waiting to go to a mothers waiting shelter when her delivery dates near.

Looking for donated baby clothes distributed at Chimanimani High School is like searching for a needle in a haystack. When the clothes come, they are not sorted into categories that include baby, young children, adult, male or female. She has to quickly pick from a pile and give others a chance. Sometimes she only picks adult clothes which she cannot dress her baby in once she gives birth. It is difficult to switch the adult clothes for baby clothing with other cyclone victims as needs differ.

The airlifted pregnant women and others affected by Cyclone Idai are also beneficiaries of the Mama Kit, a set of baby clothing items provided UNFPA being distributed by Musasa Project. In the kit are 10 nappies, two vests, a towel, a baby blanket and a bag. These can give pregnant women affected by Cyclone Idai somewhere to start. At Chimanimani High School, 380 mama kits were ready for distribution with more coming.