This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Scots training for Malawi midwives
24/05/2005
Scottish doctors and midwives are to train Malawi
medical staff in emergency obstetrics to help the country
tackle its poor maternal health record.
First Minister Jack McConnell today announced that the
Scottish government is to support a new three year
programme which will see up 300 Malawi staff trained in
life saving techniques.
Mr McConnell was speaking after a visit to Bottom
Hospital in Lilongwe, where more than 10,000 babies are
delivered each year in very difficult conditions.
Most of the mothers are suffering from complications
such as pre-eclampsia and may also have HIV/AIDS, TB or
malaria. The hospital has only two doctors, 25 nurses and
no proper medical equipment.
He was accompanied on his visit by the deputy Minister
for Health, Frank Mwenifumbo and Dr Graeme Walker, from
Edinburgh's Simpson Memorial Maternity Hospital.
Dr Walker is leading a team of eight Scottish midwives
who are on a three week placement at the hospital, teaching
staff and students and helping in the day to day work.
Mr McConnell said:
"The statistics for mothers who die in child birth, and
for infant mortality are shocking. No human being could
fail to be moved and angered by the reality of the
conditions in Bottom Hospital.
"This is about individual families - and we in Scotland
must do what we can to help.
"There must be more international aid, but Scotland's
skills and, I hope, our collective generosity can be
harnessed to make things better here."
After his visit to Bottom Hospital the First Minister
visited the College of Health Sciences in Lilongwe, where
up to 600 medical staff are trained each year.
The new training programme will build on the work
already carried out by Dr Walker and his team. Ten Scottish
trainers will provide training for up to 100 staff and
students a year at Bottom Hospital and other sites in
Lilongwe.
The cost of the programme - around £120,000 a year -
will be met by a grant from the government's new
International Development Fund.
Malawi has one of the world's worst maternal rates.
Latest figures from the Malawi government suggest that up
to 1,800 out every 100,000 woman die a year.
Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world,
with an income per person of around $160 per year - 170
times less than the average Scot's income.
More than one million of the 12 million population
suffers from HIV/AIDS, and there are around 500,000 AIDS
orphans. Life expectancy has fallen to 37 years and
Malawi's government can only afford to spend an average of
£6 per person per year on healthcare.
Children under five are 27 more times likely to die than
those in Scotland.
The Scottish government announced its International
Development Fund in October last year. It has an annual
budget of £3 million a year and it will focus its work on
supporting Scottish charities working in Sub-Saharan
Africa, with a particular focus on Malawi.
Dr Graeme Walker and the Scottish midwives are members
of ALSO - a charity which provides training in advanced
life support obstetrics.