WHEN Loveness Kajokoto from Chatora village in Mt Darwin realised that something was amiss with her pregnancy, her instinct was to rush to the "nearby" clinic as she was focused on saving her baby.
Having witnessed some women losing their babies or their lives while giving birth, fear of the unknown drove her to rush to the nearest clinic at Mutungagore to save her unborn baby.
However, her case was treated with the urgency it deserved as she was rushed to Mt Darwin Hospital after confirmation of a premature labour.
She gave birth to a baby boy, at eight months (pre term).
"I started leaking fluids without experiencing any pain and I rushed to the clinic, fearing that I would be having a miscarriage," she said.
"They said my case was urgent and I needed to go to a bigger medical facility to receive specialised care."
She was induced into labour, the result was a baby weighing 1,7kg.
According to the World Health Organization standards, the baby was underweight as normal birth weight is 2,5kg.
Premature birth, before 37 weeks of pregnancy, and foetal growth restriction are the most common causes of low birthweight.
As a way of ensuring that the baby reaches the normal weight and also that challenges associated with low birth weight are dealt with, Kajokoto and her baby are admitted in the hospital's intensive care unit, where they are receiving the required care.
Part of the care procedure is that she is giving kangaroo care to her baby.
During the practice of kangaroo care, a premature infant dressed in only a diaper is placed against a parent's bare chest.
The infant is then covered with a blanket.
According to Stanford Children's Health, skin-on-skin contact during kangaroo care triggers the release of oxytocin in mothers and fathers, and research shows the method helps improve a premature infant's health and well-being.
Kangaroo care takes place at least once per day for one to three hours.
Kajokoto is thankful that her situation was managed owing to the dedicated and swift action by medical personnel at Mt Darwin Hospital.
"My greatest fear was losing my baby as I had witnessed several times where women who would have developed complications before their expected day of delivery either lost their lives or the baby," she said.
Her situation was made easier as the country, through the help of partners including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), is working to reduce maternal and child mortality.
Recent findings show that maternal mortality ratio has reduced to 212 deaths per 100 000 live births down from 651 per 100 000 live births from the last Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) in 2015.
UNFPA Zimbabwe representative Miranda Tabifor said the steady decline indicates progress towards ending maternal deaths and ensuring no woman dies while giving life.
"We commend the significant reduction in the maternal mortality ratio, as evidenced by the 2023-24 ZDHS," Tabifor said.
"This is a testament to the focused investments and collaborative efforts in strengthening maternal health services across Zimbabwe."
"It's a clear indication that prioritising the health of mothers and ensuring access to skilled care can save lives."
She added: "While we acknowledge that more work remains, this achievement is a powerful reminder of what can be accomplished when we invest in the right areas and empower women with quality healthcare."
A matron at Mt Darwin Hospital, Susan Makoni, said the interventions they introduced in maternal health care are serving as drivers to achieving the reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality.
"We realised that admitting mothers into our waiting mothers shelter several months before they give birth has enabled us to reduce complications as there is constant monitoring," she said.
"Another improvement is that we are now able to train mothers on proper child care before they are discharged."
Makoni said they are now recording an improvement in institutional deliveries while home deliveries are declining.
Most maternal deaths occur in homes as people make attempts at home deliveries.
A recent visit facilitated by the Health and Child Care ministry to Chitsungo Mission Hospital, a Catholic-run hospital situated over 200km from Harare, in Mbire district, showed efforts being made by the government and private stakeholders to reduce the maternal mortality rate.
The hospital recently received theatre equipment, which has enabled them to do emergency C-Section operations, reducing delays that were being encountered while transporting a patient to Bindura Hospital, or, in very serious cases, Sally Mugabe Central and Parirenyatwa Group of hospitals.
It has transitioned into an ideal health centre prepared to deal with medical emergencies, maternal included.
A medical officer at the facility, Bravery Makuvaro, said through interventions like the kangaroo care, they had managed to reduce infant mortality as well as maternal mortality.
"When I first came here, we didn't have a lot of equipment, but since we had the university training for 18 months, we have also received a lot of new equipment, which has also helped in our job," Makuvaro said.
"As for pre-term babies, the number of mortality has significantly decreased, which I would like to believe is a result of interventions like Kangaroo care."
A mother admitted at the hospital, Mavis Kazembe, said she was relieved when she was told that her premature baby was responding to care and gaining weight.
While maternal health and institutional maternal health care have improved, issues such as child malnutrition and infant mortality remain worrying issues, according to findings from the ZDHS.