More than a maternity ward

The new maternity ward in Ariemet, Isiolo County

Do you ever see those plaques in schools or libraries and wonder why the opening of a new building needed a plaque to mark the occasion?

At the end of October, a new maternity ward was opened in Isiolo County, Kenya with a ceremony attended by the local community and a plaque unveiled by the local governor. An odd detail to get excited about as part of a maternal health project, perhaps. Surely the person who cuts the ribbon on a day like this is of minimal importance. Get on with using the beds! you might be thinking.

But the ceremony in part demonstrates why this project has great potential to change the lives of women and their families.

In a place where too many women die in childbirth, simply building a new maternity ward won’t fix the problem. You also need to make sure that women want to use the ward, that their families will support them to get there, and that the government will keep it usable with a commitment to funding maternal health services.

The ribbon to the new ward was cut by the Governor of Isiolo county, who emphasised his commitment to improving the conditions of maternal health facilities in the county during his speech at the ceremony.

The governor is shown around the new beds, facilities and ambulance for the maternity ward

There are lots of reasons women in Isiolo County don’t access health services during pregnancy and childbirth. There isn’t enough funding to provide all the needed services. Some that do exist are poorly equipped. Roads that lead there don’t match up to the challenges of the terrain. Cultural traditions mean that women aren’t encouraged or supported to get the care that they need. In crude economic terms, there are problems with both supply and demand. In human terms, that’s women and babies who are needlessly dying.

A project that wants to change that needs to tackle both sides. Getting the governor on board and committed is just one part of the puzzle. That’s why the plaque and the ribbon might be more exciting than you first thought.

To find out more about how we’re working to stop women dying in childbirth, read our New Beginnings collection.