Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
World Vision Zambia says there is need for the country to find solutions to the high number of maternal, neonatal and child mortality.
Speaking during the baseline dissemination meeting for the child health impact study conducted in collaboration with the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of public health, World Vision Senior Director for Monitoring and Evaluation Jane Chege says the findings are based on child health in areas were World Vision operates.
Dr. Chege says the program focuses on supporting effective preventive health and nutrition practices, encouraging people to appropriately seek health care.
She explains that World Vision Zambia and the school of public health decided to do an impact study to ascertain the levels and challenges associated with child health.
Dr. Chege adds that so far preliminary findings indicate that Zambia still has challenges in addressing neonatal, child health, maternal health, use of family planning and antenatal care especially in rural areas.
She notes that sensitization is key to addressing the challenges and most importantly there is need for healthcare providers to take a leading role in educating mothers on the importance of having medical checkups if they are to secure the life the unborn child.
Current statistics indicate that neonatal mortality rate is at 34 per 1,000 live births, with the Infant mortality rate at 70 per 1,000 live births, while the under-5 mortality rate is at 119 per 1,000 live births.