Balaka chiefs hail safe motherhood initiative
Traditional leaders from Malawi’s southern district of Balaka have hailed the presidential safe motherhood initiative saying it has helped reduce maternal health in the district.
Speaking at a meeting organized by the chairperson of the initiative Senior Chief Kwataine of Ntcheu, the traditional leaders expressed their commitment towards the initiative promising to assist President Joyce Banda in achieving its objectives.
Among the objectives is to contribute towards the reduction [by half] of the maternal mortality rate in Malawi by 2015 as demanded by the Millennium Development Goals.
The gathering was part of series of meetings which the Senior Chief is conducting across the country which aim to sensitise traditional leaders at all levels about maternal health.
The chiefs acknowledged that it is their duty to protect every woman and discourage traditional birth attendants from undertaking in deliveries in the villages.
Meanwhile national coordinator for the safe motherhood initiative Dorothy Ngoma has completed a two week recruitment exercise that will train 200 midwives for the next 18 months. The goal is to train 1000 midwives by 2014.
