| Migiro urges stakeholders to improve women’s health | Send to a friend |
| Monday, 02 August 2010 23:54 |
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The Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) Dr Asha-Rose Migiro has urged all stakeholders to join hands in improving women and children’s health. According to Dr Migiro, improving women’s health was a collaborative effort that requires participation of all members of the community. She said that yesterday when she visited a Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT) hospital in the city, a hospital which provides free treatment to women suffering from fistula. “Healthy women have healthy children. They are the foundation for strong communities and strong economies, they can build a healthy future for all,” she said adding that there were hundreds of women in the world who are left behind because of fistula. “What CCBRT and UNFPA are doing is indeed commendable,” she said. With a funding of $20,000 (about Sh28 million) since December 2009 CCBRT has been able to manage the initiative that uses CCBRT ambassadors across Tanzania to refer women with fistula for treatment. For her part, Dr Julitta Onabanjo, the UNFPA Representative to Tanzania commended the job well done by CCBRT noting: “I commend them for restoring dignity and giving hope to women who had lost hope due to fistula, UNFPA stresses the importance of improving maternal health.” She also added that this will be achieved by providing access to reliable and safe maternal health and services, “The use of the new idea of M-Pesa has helped in reducing bottlenecks that these women are facing,” said Dr Onabanjo. The CCBRT chief executive officer Mr Erwin Telemans, encouraged women to come out for treatment as this is done free of charge. “We have been facing the challenge of encouraging women to come forward for treatment. We are delighted that UNFPA is now assisting us to deal with this challenge, but I urge more women to come out,” said Mr Telemans. He added that January this year, 119 women with fistula were treated at CCBRT, 56 of whom came on transport paid via Vodacom’s M-PESA. In a bid to prevent majority of disabilities by improving maternal and infant healthcare, CCBRT has entered into partnership with the government of Tanzania to establish a new maternity hospital in the city. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites           |
