Bank focuses on supporting health of women, children

THE Bank South Pacific’s community project focus this year is to support the health and wellbeing of women and children, according to the bank.
For example, bank staff in Alotau reached out to two communities in the Losuia district in Milne Bay to renovate the birth houses at Tukwaukwa and Obweria villages.
Women from surrounding villages and islands will benefit from the assistance too.
The project was selected when a request was made to repair one of the buildings damaged by a fallen coconut tree.
Bank South Pacific staff assisted in cleaning up the site and repainting the walls while a contractor was engaged to complete the renovations.
The staff also assisted in installing a new water tank.
BSP community project team leaders Max Dobu and Luke Gumwatu applauded the local villagers for volunteering to complete the project.
“We can see how important this project is for the community, and we are proud to be a part of making that difference in this community through our project,” Dobu said.
“The project will go a long way in providing a clean and safe building for women to attend to child births.”
The birth houses were built in 1991 through the village birth attendant programme initiated by the provincial health office and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef).
The aim was to reduce infant and maternal mortality.
A training centre in Losuia plus two birthing houses in Tukwaukwa and Obweria villages were funded by AUSAID and the district services improvement programme.
Village birth attendants are selected by their communities and trained by experienced nurses.