NAKATINDI HEALTH CLINIC AND MATERNITY WARD

STANDING UP FOR ZAMBIA’S MOTHERS AND CHILDREN

Zambia suffers one of the world’s highest HIV maternal transmission rates, with approximately 28,000 babies born HIV-positive each year. Compounding this issue, only about 19% of Zambian mothers receive adequate prenatal care.

The people of Nakatindi know this all too well. Set on the border of Zambia’s Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, Nakatindi was isolated from adequate medical care, and with an estimated one in four of its residents suffering from HIV, the situation was dire.

To address this urgent need, the community partnered with AKP in 2013 to construct the Nakatindi Health Clinic, a 24/7 resource staffed by 20 trained healthcare professionals supported by the Zambian Ministry of Health. The clinic has since expanded to include a maternity ward with delivery and ultrasound rooms, as well as spaces for prenatal and postnatal care. Serving some 16,000 Zambians, the clinic now treats about 50 patients every day, providing essential care, family planning consultation, and vaccinations for the village and beyond. AKP has also partnerered with Project C.U.R.E. for much-needed shipments of approximately $1.6 million in medical equipment and supplies.

But what does all this mean to the mothers and children of Nakatindi? Thanks to early diagnosis, access to antiretroviral drugs and regular treatment, more than 550 babies have been born HIV-free in the clinic’s maternity ward since its opening in 2018 — a milestone that seemed all but impossible just a few years ago.

With gracious support from A&K guests and our partners at Project C.U.R.E., AKP will continue its commitment to the health and well-being of Nakatindi’s mothers and children with ongoing improvements to facilities, training and other resources.