adminHerald Reporter
The Parliamentary Committee on Health and Child Care is lobbying Treasury to allocate more funds towards health to improve prenatal and maternal health access by all women across the country.
This comes as research done by the Women and Law in Southern Africa identified gaps in the access of prenatal and maternal services in five districts as a result of lack of financial resources and shortage of health staff at institutions among other reasons.
The study titled; “The utilisation of prenatal and maternal services by pregnant adolescents and rural women in selected districts in Zimbabwe: A qualitative study of the pregnant woman’s experiences”, showed that there were existing gaps in the legal and policy framework which were affecting girls and women’s access to basic sexual reproductive health services.
The research was done in Murehwa, Mutare, Chivhu, Beitbridge and Harare.
Speaking recently, chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care Dr Ruth Labode, represented by Perseverance Zhou, said there was need to channel more funding towards prenatal and maternal health services to reduce the country’s maternal death rate.
“We therefore ought to be well aware of the gaps and opportunities that the maternal health services legislative, policy and institutional framework present to us.
“As we get into the Budget season, it should be our foregoing encouragement to actively participate, debate and lobby the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to extend adequate budgetary support towards the Ministry of Health and Child Care and specifically towards maternal health services”, she said.
Dr Labode encouraged stakeholders to remain committed towards improving access to health by pregnant women.
Speaking at the same event, women who have failed to access maternal services at health institutions called for targeted interventions in ensuring that every woman and child survives.
Mrs Valerie Chibaya said she lost her baby after she failed to get attention from health staff during childbirth.
“If I had been assisted earlier, my baby would have survived. I hope this initiative will help other women who might be in the same situation as I was in,” she said.
Mrs Letwin Siyampongo gave birth to her baby on her own and the baby sustained injuries.
“The nurses failed to assist me and when my baby came, he fell on the floor as there was no one to receive him. Now I need to take him for a scan to determine if he suffered permanent injuries to the head but unfortunately I cannot afford it,” she said.
WLSA director Mrs Fadzayi Traquino said there was need for adequate financing of the health sector in line with the Abuja Declaration to ensure improved conditions of service for healthcare professionals as well as construction of more health facilities and provision of equipment.
She said there was need to review the Public Health Act to ensure that it stipulates the age at which young girls could seek medical assistance, including accessing sexual and reproductive health services such as contraceptives.
Mrs Traquino highlighted the need to continue supporting the health sector financially to ensure health centres can provide the necessary services to women and girls.
She also said some of the barriers to accessing health care by women also included religious beliefs and cultural practices.
Online Reporter