The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has donated Emergency Obstetric Kits to 26 health centres in the country.

UNFA press statement says the gesture is part of the agency's humanitarian assistance to governments in emergencies and within the coordinated inter-agency response to disasters.

It adds that the purpose is to respond to live-saving needs of pregnant women and newborn in drought affected districts of Lesotho and the donation include among others, kits for birth attendants, for post rape cervical repair, caesarian section, uterine evacuation and for neonatal resuscitation.

The release states that with support received from the Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), special expertise has been employed to ensure that quality obstetric and antenatal care is available to all pregnant women.

It says a total number of 190,000 beneficiaries, who are women of reproductive age and 10,000 newborn in the affected districts have been reached while UNFPA office worked together with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and sister UN agencies to ensure delivery of support to the centres.

It stipulates that evidence revealed that maternal mortality ratio in Lesotho is very high and has tripled over the years as it has increased from 282 per 100,000 live births in 1996 to 419 per 100,000 live births in 2001 and 762 per 100,000 live births in 2004.

According to the release, the estimation of life time risk of maternal death, shows that one out of 32 women will die of pregnancy and childbirth related conditions reaffirming that reproductive health conditions are the leading cause of death and illness in women of childbearing age.

The emergency obstetric care kits are therefore expected to respond to some of these problems.

UNFPA is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. It supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.

Source: LENA 18/01/2008