Zimbabwe First Lady Grace Mugabe. She has spoken out forcefully against the continuation of western sanctions against the government of Zimbabwe.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
Herald Reporters
THE First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe has castigated organisations and countries that continue imposing illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe, saying the economic embargo contributed to high child mortality rate in the country.
She said it was imperative for Government to craft policies that reduce the child mortality rate.
Amai Mugabe was speaking during the launch of the National Child Survival Strategy 2010-15 at Harare Central Hospital yesterday.
"If our love for one another is pure and genuine and not tainted by selfishness, it will be impractical and acceptable to see the illegal imposition of sanctions on a pregnant mother or her helpless newly-born baby," she said.
"The bread-winners of this country also deserve to be capacitated economically so that they are able to fend for their families. Truly, they do not deserve paltry salaries because of an economy under siege. It is therefore imperative that as we craft strategies to reduce child mortality, we also adopt the caterpillar approach of removing all impediments to attaining child survival such as sanctions and unnecessary conflict.
"As mothers of this world, we will protest without end for our beloved children who truly deserve our protection. These children are our future and it is important that as their custodians we make decisions that are in their best interest," she added.
The First Lady said Zimbabwe was aiming to reduce the mortality rate in children from 82 deaths per 1 000 births to 34 deaths out of every 1 000 births by 2015.
These figures, Amai Mugabe said, called on the nation to strengthen the high-impact interventions to reverse the trend and achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals number four, of reducing infant mortality by two thirds by the year 2015.
High mortality is a result of maladies such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, and malaria; with HIV and malnutrition being serious underlying causes.
"These conditions are the leading causes of mortality in children who are under five years in Zimbabwe. The HIV epidemic also continues to be a major challenge to child health, with approximately 105 740 children in the country living with HIV," she said.
She urged the nation "to go back to the priceless Godly principles, especially that of loving one another".
She said as custodians of children’s health and welfare, adults should ensure that children do not die of preventable causes.
World Health Organisation country representative Dr Custodia Mandlhate said the African region was faced with a high burden of child mortality hence Zimbabwe would get a lot of direction from the strategy.
She said good health of children was a prerequisite for development and that could only be realised when such efforts are linked with the improvement of the condition of the mother.
"It is globally acknowledged that we cannot talk separately about child survival without touching the well being of mothers. And that is the beauty of the Child Survival Strategy launched today; it makes the link with other maternal and newborn health road map launched three years ago."
Dr Mandlhate reiterated her organisation’s support to national programmes in health that help shape research and stimulate the generation, translation and dissemination of valuable knowledge.
The launch was attended by Health and Child Welfare Minister Henry Madzorera, his deputy Dr Douglas Mombeshora, Health Advisor in the President’s Office Dr Timothy Stamps, Maternity Child Health Integrated Programme country director Professor Rose Kambarami, Unicef country Representative Dr Peter Salama, among other dignitaries.
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