By Pemphero Malimba:

Giving birth is regarded as a blessing from God among believers, including those in Malawi.

However, some women are facing calamities in the aftermath of child birth.

Thokozani Katchere, a Chilinde Township-based woman in Lilongwe, is one of them.

On December 31, 2020, Katchere gave birth to a baby girl in the seventh month of her pregnancy at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) in the capital.

Her child, who was born weighing 1.8 kilogrammes (kg), was meant to be born in early 2021.

“My child was born prematurely because I developed urinary tract blood infection. This forced me to give birth prematurely as it caused some complications to my health,” she said.

People in her area and those surrounding her did not look at her daughter as a blessing owing to social norms existing in the area.

“People were saying all sorts of things. They were saying that because my child was born prematurely, she may not be normal physiologically. They were saying that she could not make it. This affected me mentally and I lost hope because of what people were saying,” the mother of one said.

At the moment, the four-year-old girl, whom we have named Bettie, is attending middle class lessons at one of the nursery schools in the city.

“She is doing well in her studies. I have never seen any problem with her, health wise. She does everything, the way other children do,” the 23-year-old narrated.

Following her experience and that of others, a group called Tinali konko was formed.

The group, which has several members who include women whose children were born prematurely and those whose children were born with various forms of disability, instils hope in other women through visits it conducts at KCH in the city.

“Through this group, we help other women who are in Kangaroo. We provide them with hope so that they should not experience what we experienced. We encourage them to have hope and know that it is possible to take care of their children and see their children grow,” she said.

Katchere, who is continuing with her studies as a form four student at Chiwoko Secondary School in the city, is one of the thousands of expectant women who are able to access medical care in the country’s health facilities.

Katchere recently attended a panel discussion on maternal and new-born babies which was organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Ministry of Health (MoH).

The discussion was part of a year-long campaign in recognition of World Health Day, which falls on April 7 every year.

The campaign, titled ‘Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures’, implores all sectors, partners, health workers and community members to step up efforts to end preventable maternal and new-born deaths and to prioritise women and babies’ long-term health and well being.

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