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ABIGAIL CHIFUSA
ACROSS Zambia, maternal and child healthcare remains a key driver of national development. For decades, successive governments have acknowledged that the health of mothers and newborns is directly linked to the country’s social and economic progress. Under President Hakainde Hichilema, priority has been placed on strengthening health infrastructure, particularly maternal and childbirth facilities, to ensure that no woman is left behind because of distance, poverty, or poor access to services.
In Namwala District, this national vision is being realised in practical ways through the construction of the Maseele Maternity Annex under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). Shyness Mubita, a resident of Kalundu Township within the district, said the new maternity annex is an indicator of dignity for mothers in the district. “We are happy that the Government built this maternity annex here. In the past, when you went into labour, especially at night, you had to travel all the way to the district hospital. There is quite a distance to get there, and transport is also a challenge at night,” she said. Ms Mubita, a mother of three who delivered all her children at Namwala District Hospital, said access to timely transport has long been one of the main challenges facing expectant mothers in the district.
She explained that while the hospital has always been the primary place that women depend on for safe deliveries, reaching the facility, especially during labour, is stressful. “Most women here give birth at this hospital, so getting there on time is very important. In the past, transport was not always easy to find, especially at night,” Ms Mubita said. She commended the New Dawn government for bringing modern health infrastructure closer to ordinary people. “With the work this Government is doing, such as providing this facility, we hope they continue because they are doing a very good job. In the past, we rarely had access to such facilities, but now that these services are closer to us, we are very grateful. This also means our children will no longer have to travel to other districts to access modern services; they can now receive them right here at home,” Ms Mubita said. She further said the newly constructed Maseele Maternity Annex provides a more comfortable and convenient environment for mothers seeking care. Ms Mubita explained that the facility includes rooms where expectant mothers can be admitted a few days before their expected delivery dates and monitored after childbirth. “The annex is also equipped with running water and shower facilities, which improve comfort and the quality of care,” she said. Community-based volunteer Fisher Kaluwe described Maseele Maternity Annex as an important development for the district. He noted that the annex will bring maternal health services closer to the community.
“The UPND government has undertaken many development projects across the country, and this maternity annex is among them. “It serves people from across Namwala, and because of the long distance to the district hospital, emergencies were a big challenge. Now people can come here because the facility is closer,” Mr Kaluwe said. He explained that in the past, the long distance to health facilities forced some women to give birth at home, a practice that posed serious risks to both mother and child. “Previously, some mothers chose to give birth at home because of the distance they had to cover. However, this issue has reduced, and this facility will encourage even more mothers to deliver at a health facility,” Mr Kaluwe said. He noted that the maternity annex will also strengthen the referral system within the district by improving access to higher level maternal care. “We have ambulances that transport expectant mothers from different facilities across the district, and when a woman goes to a health centre that does not offer labour services, this annex is now much closer. This will make referrals easier and help reduce congestion at the district hospital once it is fully operational,” Mr Kaluwe said. Maseele Clinic assistant nurse in-charge Brian Munda described the maternity annex as a “very NEWLY constructed Maseele Maternity Annex. big blessing” to the community.
“People within this community have been travelling about eight kilometres or more to the district hospital for deliveries. It is a huge relief now that the maternity annex has been brought here for us,” he said. As a health worker, Mr Munda has directly witnessed the struggles faced by expectant mothers. “It is also a blessing to us as a facility. We are now going to offer services directly to the community, instead of referring mothers all the way to the district hospital,” he said. Mr Munda explained that morale among health workers at Maseele Clinic has improved. “When we look at the old structure and compare it to this new one, our morale is boosted. We are excited because we are moving from an old structure to a modern one,” he said.
Mr Munda also highlighted the financial burden that expectant mothers previously faced. “Some mothers previously had to book taxis and pay K200 or more to get to the district hospital because of the distance and the condition of the roads, which are very sandy. It was really a burden on them. This annex is a huge relief,” he said. Mr Munda noted that the facility is strategically located at the centre of different surrounding communities. “It will serve Council Township, Kalundu, Kalweza, Namulumbwe, Shapopa, Kopa, Airstrip, Showgrounds, and even areas on the periphery of Itezhi-Tezhi, such as Nantanga. All these people will benefit,” he said. According to Namwala Town Council, the project reflects the New Dawn government’s commitment to decentralised development through CDF. Nick Miyanda, a civil engineer at the local authority, said Maseele Maternity Annex is one of the district’s completed 2024 CDF projects. He described the community’s response as overwhelmingly positive. “The health facility’s previous structure was old and in a dilapidated state. The community has been very supportive and eager to see this maternity annex operational, as it is already completed,” he said. Mr Miyanda noted that the project aligns with the presidential directive to use CDF to address pressing community needs. “As a local authority, we are very committed to developing Namwala Constituency. Under the 2025 CDF, we have nine community-based projects, some of which have already been completed,” he said. Zambia is steadily strengthening maternal and child healthcare under President Hichilema’s leadership, and initiatives like the construction of maternity annexes across the country demonstrate how policy decisions are making tangible differences in communities. Bringing maternity services closer to women, reducing preventable risks, and restoring dignity to childbirth, the New Dawn government is improving healthcare access while investing in the long-term well-being of families and the nation’s health.
