Childhood Mortality in Rwanda

 

 

28 week baby and mother.
The baby's twin had died.

In just one week at the end of March 2004, when we had someone there for the maternity hospital opening, two children died in Shyira.

  • A two month old baby died with malaria
  • A small child died with chicken pox. The child was suffering with HIV/AIDS - both parents were HIV positive - and his immune system was not able to resist chicken pox.

On a previous visit we had been shown a baby which was said too be dying. One of our team identified the baby as being dehydrated. The baby was put on a drip and went home three days later. That could not happen in Shyira hospital now, but could it be repeated in the countryside around Shyira? Malnutrition, HIV and malaria are three major killers of children in Rwanda.


In Rwanda one child in five will die before their fifth birthday, and about one birth in one hundred will result in the death of the mother. Rwandan families are large, so the probability that an individual mother will die in childbirth is something like one in sixteen.

Death rates need not be so high. For example, measures could have been taken to protect both the children who died at the end of March. It is possible to train midwives so that the risks to mother and baby are reduced, and to train communities so that the risks to young children are reduced.

We have discussed a proposal for a safe motherhood programme with the Minister of Health in Rwanda. He comments that such a scheme would benefit the community by giving them responsibility for their health, and that it would complement government initiatives. Also lessons could be learnt from the programme and that the ideas could be used elsewhere. The minister was gracious enough to allow the discussions to be recorded on video, and to give his support to the proposal.

Comic Relief.

Concerned about the high mortality among the mothers and children of Shyira, we applied to Comic Relief for funding to establish a WHO style Safe Motherhood programme. The application was rejected. In retrospect we agree with the decision.

Using feedback from the first application, and further consultation with Comic Relief, we applied again. Within 4 days we were told that we were not eligible to apply because our primary aim is not "development". Comic Relief advised that we team-up,with an eligible charity.

We did as suggested by Comic Relief and another organisation resubmitted the application. It was again rejected.

We believe that the people of Shyira are deserving of help, and that the high mortality rates are unacceptable. If anyone has information about funding which may benefit them please contact us.