mortality rate is extremely high (10% of newborn babies die before the age of one, and a further 10% do not reach the age of five). More than a third of infant mortality is due to malnutrition, thus increasing mortality among infants suffering from ailments such as diarrhoea and pneumonia.
The nuns of the “Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate” set up a project in the towns of Mansoa and Bissorà, to which we contribute, to assist twins, orphans and many children whose mothers have AIDS. Every two weeks the Sisters meet mothers and children to give them milk and drugs and take the opportunity for the mothers to participate in a training course on nutrition, hygiene and breast feeding. At Bissorà there is a small group of mothers who are seropositive so they are given specific training. Unfortunately, due to the poor level of health care in State hospitals many mothers and babies die during childbirth The centres run by the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate take in more than 500 infants. Every month the Sisters make the journey to the most outlying villages to check the weight of the babies, give training courses and checking the health of mothers and babies.
Our contribution serves to buy both Guigoz milk for the newborn and ordinary milk for the slightly older children, medicines and sometimes rice and sugar. Here milk is extremely scarce and very expensive.