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Chronicle Reporter

THROUGH a generous investment from ELMA Philanthropies, Higherlife Foundation on Thursday commenced the handover of maternal health medical equipment to seven hospitals in Zimbabwe.

This donation includes 925 blood pressure machines, 55 glucometers, 110 infrared thermometers and 54 fetal dopplers distributed to maternity departments at Bulawayo United Hospitals (UBH), Sally Mugabe Hospital, Mbuya Nehanda Maternity Hospital, Chitungwiza Hospital, Mpilo Central Hospital, Manicaland Provincial Hospital and Midlands Provincial Hospital.

The handover of the equipment is part of the Foundation’s work to create a safe working environment in maternity wards and to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes across the targeted institutions by addressing the shortages of equipment that lead to incorrect risk assessments, diagnosis, and treatment.

In a press release, Higherlife Foundation, a humanitarian agency established by prominent businessman and Econet founder, Strive Masiyiwa, said the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the provision of essential maternal and neonatal health services and severely eroded the steady gains that Zimbabwe had made in improving mortality rates. Over the next year, without intervention, Higherlife warned that maternal and neonatal mortality rates could increase by 48 percent and 30 percent respectively.

“When we heard about the state of our maternity wards, we knew we had to respond. Through the generous support of our close partner ELMA Philanthropies, who funded the project, we can invest in saving the lives of the most vulnerable of our communities, new-born babies and their mothers,” said Dr Kennedy Mubaiwa, Higherlife Foundation CEO.

“ELMA Philanthropies’ response for which we are truly grateful, has proven to us that as Zimbabweans, we do not walk alone, there are like-minded organisations and partners who are willing, not only to empathise with us but also to invest in us.”

In addition to the initial placement, the Foundation intends to supply the hospitals with more large-scale, high-tech equipment early next year. In order to strengthen health systems, build technical capacity and improve service delivery, Higherlife Foundation has also pledged to provide training for health facility personnel.

“The comprehensive training will utilise a blended learning approach of both in-person and online training courses to broaden the knowledge, expertise and competence of doctors, midwives, nurses, and auxiliary staff in the maternity wards.

“This investment is an expression of our deep sense of appreciation for all medical personnel who spend the greater part of their lives and careers saving Zimbabwean lives and helping our communities to thrive,” said Dr Mubaiwa.

Higherlife Foundation said it was guided by its “Vision 2050” – to see Zimbabwe become an upper-middle income economy by 2050. A key component of achieving this vision is building healthy, thriving, and resilient communities that are at the centre of the Foundation’s interventions in health.

Higherlife Foundation was founded by Strive and Tsitsi Masiyiwa in 1996 out of their deep Christian faith, heartfelt compassion as well as their personal experiences of orphanhood.