Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) – Sub-Saharan Africa will soon have a manual on mother/child healthcare, that will help reduce deaths of these two groups and enhance healthcare for mothers, infants, and children in general. The manual, entitled "The Maternal and Child Health," premiered in Japan in the 1940s and will now be introduced in eight East African countries, to monitor the health of mothers and their children. It will replace the current prenatal references and references for the monitoring of growth, as well as other sources on children. "The Maternal and Child Health" will help in registering the health of mothers during pregnancy, childbirth, and the baby's growth, as well as vaccines made, so health care professionals can refer to it in case of hospitalization, follow-ups, and emergencies. According to UNICEF, for the year 2009, 51% of the 9.2 million deaths among children under five years of age were recorded in sub-Saharan Africa, in addition to the 536,000 deaths among mothers. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 3/2/2010)
