Contacts:
Janet Winteridge +44 1932 861174
Diane Rickard +44 1438 727 800, rickardd@mercyships.org
Cargill joins Mercy Ships to fund new maternity clinic in Ghana
COBHAM, UK — A new maternity clinic, funded by Cargill and Mercy Ships, has been opened by Ghana Health Services (GHS) in the Tema Polyclinic, Ghana, West Africa. Until now, the local health facility had provided prenatal care to more than 8,000 women a year, but had no birthing facilities. In Ghana, more than half of all women give birth at home without the assistance of a medical professional, resulting in a devastatingly high maternal and infant mortality rate.
The population of Tema – which is Ghana’s largest port city and located about 16 miles east of the capital city of Accra – has grown to more than 600,000 in recent years, yet healthcare facilities and services have not kept pace. The desperately needed new 5,000 square foot Polyclinic maternity ward will serve more than 20 communities in the city of Tema and neighbouring districts. The facility consists of a four-bed birthing room, a surgical suite where Caesarean sections can be performed and a 14-bed general ward. Cargill contributed nearly US$120,000 toward the new clinic, which GHS will staff and operate.
“We are delighted to be involved in the construction of this maternity unit and committed to providing the community of Tema with much-needed maternity care,” said Leo Winters, head of Cargill’s business in West Africa. “Cargill strives to make a positive contribution to the communities where our employees live and work. This kind of commitment is a natural fit with our recent announcement to invest more broadly in the Tema region.”
Cargill recently announced that it will construct a cocoa processing plant in the port of Tema to produce cocoa liquor, butter and powder. The facility will process 60,000 tonnes initially, with the potential to expand to 120,000 tonnes.
Mercy Ships vice president of International Programmes, Dr. Glenn Strauss, commented: “The Polyclinic’s maternity wing and theatre will help increase the number of supervised deliveries and reduce maternity-related deaths for those living in Tema and neighbouring districts. We thank Cargill for its generosity in providing the funding for this project.”
The maternity unit will be an integral part of the existing Tema Polyclinic and the Tema community. GHS and Mercy Ships have a prior history of collaboration.
Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. With 149,000 employees in 63 countries, the company is committed to using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with customers to help them succeed. Cargill contributes more than US$36 million a year globally to civic and charitable organizations that help nourish the people and possibilities in communities where its employees live and work.
Mercy Ships, a global charity, has operated hospital ships and land-based clinics in developing nations since 1978. Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the forgotten poor, mobilizing people and resources worldwide, and serving all people without regard for race, gender or religion. For more information, visit ww.mercyships.org
Ghana has a high maternal death rate of 540:100,000 (compared to 17:100,000 in USA*) and a high national infant mortality rate of 68:1,000 (compared to 7:1,000 in the USA**).
* - According to a Unicef report published in 2000
** - According to a UNICEF report published in 2004