Stories of Change
Congo
- Every Child is Precious -
In Kapanga, in the Congolese savannah, giving birth to a baby may present unexpected complications. There are no proper roads, there is no electricity, there are no means of transport and the women are often forced to give birth at home, without the possibility of having medical treatment rapidly available to them, thus risking their own lives and those of their children.
In this context the Salvatorian Sisters, along with SOFIA, have opened and run a maternity ward in which mothers expecting a child are cared for by a prenatal visit, a safe environment for the birth, and a place where their children are looked after, vaccinated and checked regularly until they are five years old.
The clinic offers affordable access to good maternal and pediatric health care for the women of Ntita and surroundings, reduces incidence of infant mortality, thanks to early vaccinations, reduces the number of still-born babies, prevention of delivery complications and maternal deaths, improves awareness about pre-delivery screening, safe pregnancy and child birth among the local population. Per month on average 80 births take place in the clinic, which benefits about 1000 women per year. The guidance offered also includes basic hygiene instruction.