By Tamala Kamanga

Dowa, August 15, Mana:  Deputy Minister of Health Halima Daudi has called for concerted efforts to end maternal deaths in the country.

Daudi was speaking Wednesday in Dowa district during the launch of the Lightning Every Birth (LEB) by We Care Solar at Dzoole Health Centre in Traditional Authority Dzoole.

The project aims to improve maternal and newborn outcomes by alleviating electricity challenges at the facility through solar-generated power.

She said life is a blessing and as such no woman should die while giving birth, a thing which can be achieved through collaborative effort.

"One challenge is that many health facilities in remote areas of the country have no electricity and health workers are having difficulties when helping mothers to deliver. In some instances, they even use candles and phone torches for lighting, which is worrisome and dangerous as well.

"As a ministry, we are doing all we can to end these problems but we need all the help we can get from stakeholders. That is why we are very grateful for this development because it will go a long way in improving maternal services in this area and help save lives," she said.

She then thanked We Care for the donation and called for similar interventions to other facilities.

Executive Director and Co-founder of We Care Solar Dr, Laura Stachel said Africa faces high maternal deaths due to energy challenges in health facilities, rendering health workers to provide life-saving care in poor conditions.

Like in Malawi, she said the provision of continuous electricity in rural health facilities has also been a challenge, hence the donation.

"Our goal is to empower health workers with the tools they need to provide quality care even in the most remote areas. These solar lights are more than a source of illumination but also a beacon of hope to mothers and newborn babies in the remotest areas in Malawi," said Stachel.

Member of Parliament for Dowa West, Abel Kayembe has since commended the organization for the gesture.

"In most of our maternity wings, we do not have ESCOM electricity. Therefore, the collaboration of this organization and the Malawi government under the Ministry of Health to install modern solar equipment is a good development and it will bring a great change," he said.

He then asked community members to own the equipment and avoid vandalism.

Apart from solar accessories, the solar suitcase also comes with two rechargeable headlamps, a fetal doppler with rechargeable batteries and a manual book.