The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Soroptimist International Antananarivo Club Dean (SICAD) of 150 delivery kits and a midwife kit containing medical equipment to ensure prenatal consultations and childbirth in standards. The official presentation of this equipment took place this morning at the Maison de la Femme at 67 HA in the presence of Mrs. Agathe LAWSON, Resident Representative of UNFPA and Mrs. Mamy Rabenarivo, President of the Soroptimist International Antananarivo Dean Club. 

UNFPA promotes universal access to sexual and reproductive health information and services, quality obstetric and prenatal care for all pregnant women and girls, and the promotion of prevention of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. In its efforts to improve maternal health, UNFPA is supporting the country to provide quality care to women who give life through the provision of appropriate medical equipment. Today's facilities will enable healthcare staff at the Soroptimist Health Centre to offer more comprehensive reproductive health services. Approximately 720 women of childbearing age receive health services from the Soroptimist clinic throughout the year. 

“Access to reproductive health products and services is a fundamental human right as it saves lives, improves the health of women and young people. It reduces the number of maternal disabilities and deaths, which is at the heart of UNFPA's mandate, "said Agathe Lawson, UNFPA Resident Representative in Madagascar. 

Soroptimist International is a global network of women engaged in a professional activity that helps local, national and international communities in their efforts to promote human rights and the status of women. The movement has approximately 99,000 members in more than 120 countries. The Soroptimist International Antananarivo Club Doyen (SICAD), founded in 1972, is the first Soroptimist club in Madagascar. The club of Antananarivo realizes its works in several areas; economic and social development, education and culture, environment, health, human rights and the advancement of women. SICAD runs a centre called "House of Woman" at 67 HA whose beneficiaries are the inhabitants of the surrounding neighborhoods of the centre. It also provides training in cutting and sewing and conferences on human rights and health.

The Soroptimist Club Dispensary, named MANASOA, was inaugurated in February 2013 by the Minister of Public Health, the Resident Representative of UNFPA and the Resident Representative of WHO. The services offered at the clinic include medical consultation, monitoring of women's and children's health including prenatal consultations, vaccination, monitoring of growth and small surgery. The clinic provides health education, nursing and medication. Since the opening of the dispensary more than 1000 patients have been received, 250 children have been vaccinated and 200 prenatal consultations have been carried out. 

"Our objective is to optimize our contributions for the women in need, donations received from UNFPA our dispensary to provide a better quality of care to our beneficiaries and to be able to lighten them financially, our appreciation and deepest gratitude to UNFPA, "said Mamy Rabenarivo, President of the Soroptimist International Antananarivo Dean Club.