A total of €102,034 has been raised for young mothers and their newborns in Mauritania through the 14th advocacy and fundraising 'Kannerliicht' campaign, organised by UNICEF-Luxembourg and Cactus stores.
The fundraising mission was held as a means of combatting the high infant mortality faced by Mauritania, with more than one child in ten likely to die before their fifth birthday. Positioned on the edge of the outermost region of the Sahel, Mauritania's arid climate results in regular periods of intense drought and, subsequently, food shortages. Women and children become primary victims of malnutrition and epidemics and access to health care is not only limited by the underdeveloped medical infrastructure and the lack of trained staff, but also by cultural practices which endanger the health of mothers and babies.
To combat this trend, UNICEF and its partners have particularly focused on the welfare of pregnant women and newborns, with UNICEF providing assisted deliveries and ensuring the survival and development of newborns. UNICEF activities in thie field include equipping district health centres and regional hospitals with obstetric kits and essential drugs; providing quality training to midwives and nurses, support to mobile health workers going door-to-door in villages; and educating women and community leaders about the benefits of assisted childbirth, the important of ante- and post-natal checks, breastfeeding and vaccinations.
Photo by UNICEF/Cactus
