(Ecofin Agency) - The government of Niger has received CFA590 million (about $1 million) from China to improve the healthcare services given to children and mothers in the country.

The support is a boost to the efforts of the government itself and UNICEF toward universal health coverage. It falls within the implementation of the Integrated Community Case Management (ICCM) of the childhood illness approach in seven districts of Tahoua and the improvement of the quality of maternal and neonatal care in 51 integrated health centers in the same region.

The project targets more than 260,000 children and 96,000 women and mothers living far from health facilities. The latest stats show that only 4 in 10 women give birth with the help of qualified caregivers. Also, most child deaths occur at home, before reaching health facilities.

“Preventing deaths by improving child health through community health workers is crucial. This new financial support will help us to expand our work with community health workers to provide children with quality promotive and preventive care, as well as curative services for life-threatening diseases such as malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea,” said Dr. Félicité Tchibindat, UNICEF Representative in Niger. The project is expected to help reduce the rate of maternal and child deaths in the country.

Seven other African countries have benefited from this financial support which is part of the China South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund (SSCAF).