THE Health Action Overseas, charity has started a project to raise funds to help women and children in Albania.
Europe's poorest country it has the continent's highest rate of infant mortality. The number of women dying during child birth is also exceptionally high, at 40.5 per 100,000 births in 1994.
Most of the women die during back street abortions, as poor diet means an unusually high number bleed to death. The high level of low birthweights among infants in the country means that 30 per cent die in the first four weeks of life.
Parasitic diseases affect a large number of children aged between one and four, with respiratory infections and diarrhoeal diseases the leading of death in one to five year olds.
The "Women at the Wheel" project introduced by Health Action Overseas in Ennis, Co Clare, yesterday, will involve providing essential equipment for the main maternity clinic in Tirana, Albania's capital. A group of women truck drivers will transport equipment to the city in August.
Country singer Philomena Begley is recording an album to assist the project. It will feature the truck Truck Driving Woman.
Another fundraising venture will involve an all day concert at Millstreet, Co Cork, on July 13th next.
