Inclusive WASH facilities in Maumeta Health Post made Pregnant women feel safe for medical consultation
This Maumeta Health Post was established in 2012, however, this Health Post operated without good access to inclusive WASH facilities. Mana Marciana said that there were many difficulties that she felt during these last 10 years. These difficulties include water scarcity at the Health Post, no WASH-inclusive facilities available to facilitate the movement and hygiene needs of pregnant women, PwD, and the elderly at the Maumeta Health Post.
Maumeta, a semi-urban village in Liquiçá Municipality with a total of 4036 households. It consists of 2143 women and 2163 men. The majority of the communities’ incoming depends on agriculture. Mana Marciana de Jesus Soares, 38 years’ old who has 5 children. She is one of the community who regularly do medical consultations in Maumeta Health Post since she was pregnant with her fourth child. The first to the third children of Mana Marciana were born in the Liquiçá referral hospital because at that time the Maumeta Health Post had not yet been established.
This Maumeta Health Post was established in 2012, however, this Health Post operated without good access to inclusive WASH facilities. Mana Marciana said that there were many difficulties that
she felt during these last 10 years. These difficulties include water scarcity at the Health Post, no WASH-inclusive facilities available to facilitate the movement and hygiene needs of pregnant women,
PwD, and the elderly at the Maumeta Health Post. "When I was pregnant, I felt afraid and unsafe to use the toilet alone due to the slippery floor and no hand-rail available” said Mana Marciana with a
sad expression thinking about that moment. She added that the health worker often buys water and the patients also use the neighbors’ toilet when there is no water available.
WaterAid intervened to provide inclusive WASH facilities such as access to water, hand hygiene
facilities, and inclusive facilities at Maumeta Health Post in 2023. Therefore, Mana Marciana gladly
expressed that she felt comfortable and safe when she came to consult and took her 1-month old baby because she had a complete inclusive WASH facility for the Maumeta Health Post, especially with good access to water and hand hygiene facilities. Finally, Mana Marciana added that "I am proud of these facilities for helping the other pregnant mothers when they come to the health post, especially when they need to use toilets."
This inclusive WASH facilities in Maumeta Health Post was built by the support of the Australian Government.
