MUHANGA – Community health counsellors in Muganga District have been hailed for their role in mobilising women to attend pre-natal care.

At a function to award prizes to 22 mothers who responded positively towards standard pre-natal care, in Mushishiro sector, the director of Mushishiro Health Centre, Sr. Sophie Akimpaye, said that 139 out of 343 women have positively responded, since January, due to efforts of the counsellors.

"The number of women responding to the compulsory four time tests has grown and this has been attributed to the efforts of health counsellors,” she said.

The ceremony on Wednesday was organised by a Non-governmental Organisation, IntraHealth/Twubakane at Mushishiro Health Centre.

Laura Kay Hurley, an IntraHealth/Twubakane official said, "the women were rewarded for having taken the mandatory four time pre-tests of a pregnant woman before birth, a program that the project and ministry of health has increasingly encouraged pregnant mothers to observe.”

"The rewards are meant to encourage the women to play a lead role in mobilising others to attend pre-natal care so as to reduce child and mother mortality rates in Rwanda.”

One of the beneficiaries said, "The need to fulfil what an expectant  mother is supposed to  do until delivery is to our benefit and it is a healthy practice which should be taken on by every expectant mother.”

Mushishiro health centre was the best centre in mobilising expectant women to attend pre-natal and post natal health service in Muhanga District, according to the recent evaluations of health centre’s performance.

IntraHealth/Twubakane, a USAID funded project, also recently rewarded 27 mothers in Rwamagana District.

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