Clean Delivery Kits: Saving the Lives of Mothers and Babies

Each day thousands of Zambian women give birth with only the help of an untrained attendant or family member—or with no help at all. Many of these deliveries take place at home, often in a small dark huts in remote villages. Infection is common in these conditions and accounts for many maternal and infant deaths each year. UNICEF estimates that worldwide more than 700,000 newborns die each year of infections that could have been prevented with hand washing and hygienic umbilical cord care.

Clean Delivery Kits are a simple and effective way to save the lives of mothers and babies by reducing infection. Each kit comes with simple easy-to-use items that may not be available in remote rural settings (see list below). The kits are given to expectant moms who come to Namwianga Mission Hospital health care facilities for prenatal visits. Many of these women will not have access to a clinic or hospital for labor and delivery.

You can provide the gift of life to mothers and babies in Zambia by donating to purchase Clean Delivery Kits. A donation of just $10 buys two kits. Many donations are made to honor loved ones in lieu of birthday, Christmas or Mother’s Day gifts. If you donate in honor of someone, the honoree will receive an acknowledgment of your gift.

Each Clean Delivery Kit comes in a sealed bag and includes:

• Bar of soap and wash cloth
• Square yard of plastic sheeting
• Razor blade
• String for the umbilical cord
• Candle and matches
• Two pairs of disposable gloves
• Baby blanket
• Infant sleeper or onesie
• Pain relievers
• Pictorial instructions