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Pregnant mothers get health assistance in Fiji
– Reported, April 05, 2012
Since last month, pregnant women in rural and maritime areas have been receiving food vouchers of $30 monthly from the health ministry which these women can use to buy nutritional food during their pregnancy.
Some 20,000 babies are delivered around the country every year.
Minister for Health Dr Neil Sharma yesterday said they wanted to achieve the Millennium Development Goal and ensure that women in the country had safe motherhood.
The Government of Fiji has put money aside for mothers in rural and maritime areas to encourage them to come to hospitals earlier in their pregnancies, get screened and treated. When women come forth early in their pregnancies, infections like gonorrhea, syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections are identified and treated.
The majority of mothers in the country are anemic so when they book early with us, they will be given the required medication. This $30 food vouchers are being given to them so they can buy healthy foods for a safe pregnancy, Dr Neil said.
He said single mothers were one of the major problems in the country and they are the ones needing most help.
When these young women move from rural areas to the urban and peri-urban, we have seen there are repeated pregnancies which is a result of unstable relationships. These women face most health problems and children born are unhealthy, Dr Neil said.
These mothers, when not given the right care gave birth to premature babies and had still borns.
He said they were receiving money every quarter from the Social Welfare Department, adding that safe motherhood was every womans right.
Our objective is to see that these mothers are presented with the best care.
Credits: Jyoti Pratibha
More Information at:
http://www.fijisun.com.fj/2012/01/23/pregnant-mothers-get-health-assistance/
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