The Government of the City of Vienna is supporting St John Zambia’s Mother and Baby Programme through a development grant. St John is running its successful programme to improve timely and essential care for pregnant women and new mothers with infants. Over the last three years, the Zambian Association already reached more than 8,000 expectant and new mothers as well as 14,000 community members with crucial interventions and health education.
The grant from the City of Vienna will enable St John to expand its activities into the new township of Kayosha. The township is a very poor rural area only 35 kilometres from the capital of Lusaka. The project collaborates with the local health centre which serves the local population of 15,000 people who live in the 46 villages.
St John will give the centre a basic package of support consisting of equipment and furniture to be used for health services for pregnant women and new mothers during and after the project.
St John will also train volunteers who will then make home visits to women and help them to plan for safe deliveries. Pregnant women and their partners learn how to recognise danger signs and what to do in an emergency. Additional health education will reach future mothers and fathers, including both adults and adolescents, before their first or next pregnancy so they can increase their chances of enjoying safe parenthood and having healthier children.
St John secured the funding with strong support from its sister organisation Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe in Austria, which handed in the successful application for the Government’s development programme grant. The grant will support St John’s project for 15 months until early 2019 and improve the lives of 5,000 beneficiaries.
