Under the directives of Sheikha Fatima.. the Red Crescent launches the "Bridge of Hope" initiative to train midwives in a number of countries around the world

Under the directives of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, President of the General Women's Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, Honorary President of the Emirates Red Crescent Authority (Mother of the Emirates), the Authority and the Sheikha Fatima Fund for Refugee Women, in cooperation with Etihad Airways, launched the "Bridge of Hope" initiative. To train midwives in a number of countries, currently including Mauritania, Kenya and Mali, in order to reduce the rate of maternal and neonatal deaths in populations facing health challenges in this regard.

The initiative was launched from the Mbera refugee camp in Mauritania, in the presence of Sidi Ould Zahaf, the Mauritanian Minister of Health, Dr. Mohamed Atiq Al Falahi, Secretary-General of the Emirates Red Crescent, and a number of officials on both sides and the initiative's partners.

The initiative is being implemented in cooperation with the Mauritanian Ministry of Health, the UAE Embassy in Nouakchott, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Volunteers and the Association of Midwives in Nouakchott.

The initiative serves about 90,000 women in the camp and neighboring villages, and midwives will be selected from among the women inside the camp and those villages, and their training will be supervised by the Mauritanian Ministry of Health, in addition to a group of doctors specialized in obstetrics and gynecology, while the umbrella of the beneficiaries of the initiative will be expanded in the future to include other countries facing challenges. healthy in this aspect.

This initiative is an extension of the efforts made by the Emirates Red Crescent Authority, the Sheikha Fatima Fund for Refugee Women and Etihad Airways to reduce the suffering of refugee women, improve their health and humanitarian conditions, and provide their necessary needs during their journey with the harsh conditions of asylum.

The initiative embodies the interest that the UAE attaches to enhancing the fortunes of those affected by crises and disasters everywhere, without considering any inhumane considerations.

Dr. Maitha bint Salem Al Shamsi, Minister of State, confirmed that the initiatives of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak in the field of motherhood and childhood provide the necessary care for mothers and children in many regions and squares that lack this type of necessary services, and said that Her Highness constantly follows up on the situation of marginalized women and children victims of crises and disasters. around the world, and always directed to work on facing the challenges and threats facing women and children by adopting more development programs and projects that enhance the capabilities of these segments and contribute to improving their livelihoods.

She stressed that the initiatives of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak in this regard enhance international efforts to reduce the suffering of women and children and contribute to inventing appropriate solutions to provide them with better living conditions. The weakest and most affected by crises and disasters, stressing that the "Bridge of Hope" project will provide better health care for refugee women, thus reducing the death rate for pregnant women and newborns.

For his part, Dr. Muhammad Ateeq Al-Falahi, Secretary-General of the Red Crescent Authority, stressed that this initiative embodies the keenness of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak to enhance the necessary services that women need in general in all fields, and in particular refugee women who bear the greatest burden during the difficult journey of asylum. Her Highness' initiatives through the Red Crescent enhance the authority's capabilities to adopt projects that meet the purposes of development and reconstruction in countries facing many humanitarian and development challenges, and whose people suffer from poverty and destitution.

He added, "Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak was and still is a strong supporter and main supporter of the activities of the Red Crescent and its distinguished services in the arenas of humanitarian giving." Compete and sacrifice for others.

Al Falahi stressed that the Emirates Red Crescent Authority will work in cooperation and coordination with its partners in the initiative to achieve its goals in caring for mothers and their children and improving their chances of life and a decent life.

It is noteworthy that the humanitarian conditions and events experienced by a number of countries neighboring Mauritania during the past years, prompted tens of thousands of its residents to seek refuge in Mauritania, which established the "Mbera" camp in the district of Basknou, El Hod Al Sharqi, 1400 km east of the capital, Nouakchott. The Emirates Red Crescent is a humanitarian organization that works strongly among the refugees in the camp to relieve their suffering and meet their basic requirements in all fields.

The Bridge of Hope initiative aims to reduce pregnancy and childbirth-related mortality and morbidity within refugee communities, enhance and increase access to quality obstetric care in camps, increase the number of caregivers for pregnant women by training 30 selected girls from refugee communities, and create a link between community, health facilities and neighboring hospitals, ensuring optimal follow-up of women after their discharge from hospitals, increasing community health awareness, access to best practices in maternal and child health care, and high attendance of mothers for childbirth in the presence of a qualified health professional, in addition to achieving the 2030 sustainable development goal of reducing The neonatal mortality rate for less than 12 deaths per thousand live births.

The Emirati initiative in this regard has received a good response from the refugees and the Mauritanian authorities, who greatly appreciated the noble humanitarian stances of the state towards the Mauritanian people and the refugees on its lands, considering that these initiatives enhance the Mauritanian government’s efforts to advance the rural population and develop their local communities.

For their part, the people in charge of the (Mbera) refugee camp praised the efforts of the state and the support of the Emirati people, who are generous to their brothers in humanity.

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