More mothers and babies to benefit from Kalinga Kay Inay Project

Camarines Norte, Philippines [January 20] — With the success of the first community health fair last October 2014, the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies: Kalinga kay Inay Project will be having its second health fair in Camarines Norte this January 23 and 24, 2015. This health fair will be open to microfinance clients of CARD MRI and partner microfinance institutions as well as non-client members of the local community. Fourteen OB-GYNs and one pediatrician will provide their services with no charge to the beneficiaries. Pregnant women will also have an opportunity to get their ultrasound results immediately. About 1,000 pregnant and lactating women is expected to benefit from the second health fair.

According to recent reports from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Philippines is in critical danger of not achieving the target on improving maternal health by this year. Although there was a decline in 1993 to 2006 from 209 deaths per 100,000 live births to 162, the rate of decline was slow. Of particular concern is that according to the Philippine Department of Health, the rate has increased to 221 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2011 resulting to nationwide increased  efforts to reduce maternal mortality to 52 deaths per 100,000 live births.

Three organizations, CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI), the Microcredit Summit Campaign, and Freedom from Hunger came together to help the country achieve its MDG goal on maternal health.  The Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies: Kalinga kay Inay Project will reach more than 600,000 women microfinance clients by the end of 2015 by leveraging the reach of the microfinance sector to deliver vital health education and services to very poor women and their families.

The said project,which was launched on October 17, 2014 at the CARD MRI Head Office in San Pablo City, Laguna, had its two-day kick off community health fair in Palawan for 236 pregnant women and 908 lactating women. Microfinance clients of CARD MRI and ASA Philippines as well as non-client members of the local community  participated in the kick-off health fair.

CARD MRI through its Microfinance and Health Protection Program aims to continuously provide  health care to its 2.75 M clients especially maternal health care to its women clients even after the conclusion of the  Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies: Kalinga kay Inay Project this year.