The Redemptorist Solidarity Office for Africa and Madagascar work very closely with the Redemptorist Vice-Province of Matadi in the Democratic Republic of Congo. During 2019, the Solidarity Office invested funds in renovating the Maternity Wards at the IME Reference Hospital, in Kimpese, DRC. The conditions at the maternity wards were very poor, prior to the Redemptorist Investment. The Solidarity Office activated funding to renovate the Maternity wards, and to build new bathrooms, wash areas, and a sanitary block, as well as a new incinerator. The attached pictures give a sense of the work completed.
The IME Reference Hospital, is pivotal in trying to support women from rural communities, with complex pregnancies. Investing in the Maternity Wards, is seen as a fundamental action, towards safeguarding the lives of pregnant mothers, and delivering healthy new babies.
In addition to the capital investment, the Kimpese project, led by Redemptorist Br. Leon C.Ss.R., also:
- Trained 29 Community Health Workers;
- Purchased 20 new bicycles for Community Health Workers;
- Delivered orientation and education to 2922 pregnant mothers;
- Achieved a 55% participation rate of pregnant mothers engaging in a consultation with a nurse or doctor;
- Purchased and delivered 170 Emergency C-Section Kits;
- Subsidized 164 Emergency C-Sections Operations;
The project achieved the following results in 2019:
- Reduced the Maternal Mortality rate from 278 to 205 per 100,000 live births, in the Kimpese Health Zone;
- Reduced the perinatal mortality rate from 39 to 34.8 per 1,000 births.
The Redemptorists would like to thank Misean Cara and Electric Aid for their generous support towards this project.