EUROPE/ITALY - "First mothers and children": to double in five years the number of assisted births

Milan (Agenzia Fides) - "First mothers and children" is the watchword of an intervention carried out by the NGO Doctors with Africa Cuamm for the health and lives of mothers and children that involves four hospitals, 22 peripheral health centers and is aimed at a population of 1,300,000 inhabitants. The goal is to double the number of assisted births in five years, gradually reaching 125,000 births in hospitals and in the districts of reference: Chiulo in Angola, Wolisso in Ethiopia, Aber in Uganda and Tosamaganga in Tanzania. Until now, 42,359 births have been assisted and free, of which 3,180 C-sections, and in the 4 hospitals in the districts of reference for a total of 84,718 assisted mothers with their children. Two years after the project, there will be a talk event on behalf of Doctors with Africa Cuamm on November 16, 2013, in Milan, at the Aula Magna of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart. Main protagonists are women, to reaffirm the central role of women, especially in Africa. Institutions, international agencies, foundations, volunteers on the field and civil society will discuss the part which each can carry out in a process of joint commitment. We are dealing with a strategic challenge in order to continue to combat maternal and infant mortality, among the major Millennium Development Goals established by the United Nations. An ambitious project that has achieved a broad consensus and strong encouragement from many African institutions, the Catholic Church, the Italian government, international health agencies, local and professional authorities and civil society. On this occasion the data regarding the second year of activity will be presented, but the stories and the characters, the voices and faces of those who work every day on the field will be placed at the center. Much remains to be done, but an increase of almost 10% compared to the first year makes the milestone of 125,000 closer. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 11/11/2013)
information
ufficiostampa@cuamm.org,
l.previato @ cuamm.org