Safe motherhood activists demand special treatment on pregnant women

Safe motherhood activists say pregnant women needs special protection and treatment  in the wake of the ravaging Covid-19 infection.

This follows observations by health experts that pregnant women remain vulnerable during this pandemic due to physical changes in their bodies.

An official from safe motherhood oriented organisation, Ipas, Board Chairperson Chisale Mhango stresses that pregnant women deserve particular care during the pandemic.

Ipas Country Director Pansi Katenga has revealed plans to intensify sensitisation campaigns to eliminate issues of stigma in society.

Meanwhile, the presidential taskforce on covid-19 says in the past 24 hours, Malawi has registered 247 new COVID-19 cases, 208 new recoveries, 11 new deaths.

All new cases are locally transmitted: 71 from Lilongwe, 67 from Zomba, 50 from Blantyre, nine from Mzimba North, five each from Mulanje and Mwanza, four each from Chiradzulu and Nkhata Bay, three each from Balaka, Dowa, Mangochi, Ntchisi,

Phalombe, and Salima, two each from Karonga, kasungu, Neno, and Ntcheu, and one each from Chitipa, Dedza, Likoma, Machinga, Mchinji, and Mzimba South Districts.

The taskforce says in the past 24 hours, 11 new COVID-19 deaths have been registered: four from Blantyre,two each Fromm Rumphi and Mulanje, and one each from Lilongwe, Dowa and Ntcheu Districts.

Cumulatively, the taskforce says Malawi has recorded 28,876 cases including 937 deaths (Case Fatality Rate is at 3.2%).

Of these cases, 2,017 are imported infections and 26,859 are locally transmitted. The taskforce says cumulatively, 13,554 cases have now recovered, 134 were lost to follow-up, and 76 are still being investigated to ascertain their outcome. This brings the total numberof active cases to 14,175.

The taskforce says in the past 24 hours, 31 cases were hospitalised while 16 were discharged.

Currently, according to the taskforce, a total of 188 active cases are hospitalised: 55 in Blanytre, 47 inLilongwe, 20 in Mzimba North, 12 in Zomba, seven in Thyolo, six each in Dowa and Karonga, five in Mulanje, four each in Mchinji and Chiradzulu, three in Kasungu, two each in Machinga, Chitipa, Rumphi, Dedza, Ntcheu, Salima, and Mwanza, and one each in Nkhata Bay, Mzimba South, Mangochi, Chikwawa, and Nsanje.

On testing, the taskforce says in the past 24 hours, 1,444 COVID-19 tests were conducted. Of these, 506 tests were through SARS-COV-2 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic test while the rest were through RT-PCR.

The positive cases out of the total translates to a positivity rate of 17.1%. Cumulatively, 170,232 tests have been conducted in the country so far, says the taskforce.

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