Melinda Gates meets APM: Impressed with Malawi’s safemotherhood progress

Melinda Gates, wife to US billionaire Bill Gates has commended the Malawi government for implementing programmes that have helped the country to reduce deaths of pregnant woman and in turn meet its Millennium Development Goal-MDG number 4.

Melinda was speaking in Lilongwe during the week when she held a closed door meeting with President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika at Kamuzu Palace.

She said since her organisation started implementing safe motherhood programmes in the country, government has taken a special focus on under-five children to make sure that pregnant women deliver at a health facility and that the young child receives proper care in its first five years.

“I am impressed with the progress the government has made in ensuring that pregnant women are delivering at a health facility,” she said.

“I must commend the president for taking a leading role in this cause. The president is making sure that all the right things are being done to secure the lives of both the mother and the child,” she added.

According to Madam Gates, the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation will continue to work with government to promote the training of community midwives which is already in progress.

On any new programme which the organisation intends to establish with government, Ms Gates said she discussed with President Mutharika on a new data management system.

“This system will help government track down the progress it is making in the health sector,’ she disclosed.

The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation has been working with the government in promoting maternal and child health.