Expectant mothers in remote areas will benefit from 2,000 kits containing equipment to facilitate child birth in cases of emergency delivery.

The kits will be supplied by Birthing Kit Foundation Australia (BKFA).

The Minister of Health, Dr Agnes Binagwaho, yesterday met with Marie Dayton of BFKA and Shirley Randell, the Coordinator for International Relations at the Rwanda Association of University Women, to discuss the possible introduction of the kits in the country.

"We have a goal of every mother giving birth safely in a health centre or hospital; however, some births come unexpectedly when it is not possible for the mother to make a visit to the nearest clinic in time for the baby’s arrival,” a statement from the ministry reads.

"The small lightweight birthing kits hold supplies to satisfy the requirements for women to have a clean and safe birth.”

Dayton explained that like Rwanda, BFKA aligns its efforts with the commitments of the Millennium Development Goals to improve lives of women.

"The kits target women who face sudden birth at home or on their farm with no assistance of a traditional birth attendant or community health midwife,” she said in a statement.

According to Angelina Muganza, President of RAUW, a partner in the project, the kits are assembled by volunteers from universities in Australia and donated to developing countries.

"RAUW members would be able to organise for similar assembly days with Rwandan students making kits from locally sourced materials,” she is quoted in the statement as saying.

Since 2006, Australia has distributed over 600,000 birthing kits countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific region, it says.

BFKA also provides birth attendant training programmes where health, nutrition, hygiene and midwifery are taught, along with how to properly use the kit.

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