Kalomo District Records No Maternal Deaths in Q2

According to Kalomo District Health Director Dr Mischeck Mukanzu, the district has recorded zero maternal deaths in the second quarter of this year. The record in Kalomo indicates progress on the Presidential Delivery Unit’s goal to improve maternal mortality rates from 278 deaths per 100,000 births to 100 deaths per 100,000 by 2026.

This success has been attributed to the district’s emergency preparedness and rapid response teams. 

Dr Mukanzu told ZNBC that Kalomo District had one of the highest delivery records in the country. The district is delivering over 150 babies per month and has delivered over 1300 in 2024. 

The success came to light when Minister of Health Dr Elijah Muchima visited the hospitals and committed to providing additional hubs and transportation to prevent shortages of medicine in the area.

Dr Kennedy Lishimpi, The Permanent Secretary for Technical Services at the Ministry of Health, said, “We expect that with these vehicles and hubs in the southern province, the distribution of medicines across the province will be enhanced.” 

The Minister of Health later visited the Request Muntanga level one hospital in Kalomo, for which phases 1 and 2 started in 2020, and announced that work on the hospital would be relaunched this week.