By Beatrice Bangula

Blantyre, June 26, Mana: Women for Fair Development (WOFAD) Executive Director, Apostle Lindiwe Matanya has hailed Mdeka Mother Care Group for constructing an under-five clinic for growth monitoring and immunization at Traditional Authority (TA) Chigaru in Blantyre.

She made the commendation on Wednesday during Mother Care Group Training at Mdeka Health Centre by Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN).

She observed that Mdeka Mother Care Group has shown commitment and dedication by constructing sheds for an under-five clinic for monitoring child growth and immunization in Malifa and Masinde Villages which would help in immunization activities in the area.

“What Mdeka Mother Care Group has done gives a clear indication that there is very good coordination between the group and the health surveillance assistants (HSAs),” Matanya said.

One of the members of Mdeka Mother Care Group from Yesaya Village under Group Village Head Nthache in TA Chigaru, Elube Bisaye said the group has managed to source money through chiefs, Members of Parliament (MPs) and other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) which operate in the area for construction of the sheds.

“We have achieved to build a brick shed which is used for under five clinics for growth monitoring and immunization in Chelifa and Masinde Villages and currently we have moulded bricks for two sheds which will be constructed soon in Grant and Mtambalika Villages,” she added.

 “When construction of these sheds are complete, as a group we request District Health Office (DHO) through Blantyre District Council to send us some Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) to assist us with the required immunization services,” Bisaye said.

A member of the group from Chelifa Village, Esther Chisangazi said the construction of the under-five shelters by M'deka Mother Care Group was a big relief to communities, mothers in particular.

“We are able to get Tetanus Vaccine and all routine immunizations for our children, we used to travel very long distances to Mdeka Health Centre and because of the long distances many mothers were failing to attend these clinics and caused the skipping of immunization,” she said.

MHEN project started in 2015 as a pilot and currently targets Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mchinji, Dowa, Ntchisi, Kasungu and Mzimba with the aim at promoting health issues including Expanded Programme on Immunization.

It was funded by Global Alliance Vaccine immunization (GAVI) through the Ministry of Health.