Dowa Hospital Tackles Gender-Based Violence Linked to Preterm Births
Community leader Senior Chief Msakambewa pledged to support initiatives targeting the root causes of premature births.
DOWA, Malawi — Dowa District Hospital is raising awareness on the connection between gender-based violence and premature births, aiming to reduce infant mortality in the region, writes Rabecca Kaunda Mwafulirwa.
Speaking at a community event, Senior Clinical Officer George Mphasa called for collaborative efforts to address this issue.
"We cannot fight this battle alone; we call all stakeholders to hold hands together in raising awareness in every corner of the district to prevent the prematurity," Mphasa said.
The hospital faces challenges, including knowledge gaps among healthcare workers and a lack of infrastructure to properly care for preterm babies.
Community leader Senior Chief Msakambewa pledged to support initiatives targeting the root causes of premature births.
One local mother, Eletina Phiri, shared her experience of overcoming stigma after delivering a preterm infant, who is now a healthy 5-year-old.
Phiri urged other mothers to prevent risk factors like sexually transmitted infections, violence, stress, and malnutrition that can contribute to preterm deliveries.