Birthing Kits made by Zonta Clubs

An initiative originally of the Zonta Club of Adelaide Hills (in District 23), the birthing kit was designed specifically to be a cost effective tool to promote the '7 cleans' in childbirth in developing countries. 

The contents are intended to promote hygeine in childbirth and thus prevent the most common causes of related infections.  They contain items for the birth itself (eg. plastic sheeting, soap & disposable gloves), for the baby (clamps and a blade to attend to the umbilical cord) and to prevent common post-natal infections (eg. gauze to clean the baby’s eyes).

The kits cost less than a dollar to make and they are assembled in the thousands by Zonta Clubs in Districts 23 and 24. 

Once assembled, the birthing kits are distributed by the project organisers with the help of NGOs in a variety of developing countries (who train local women to be birthing attendants and in the use the kit).

The project is now operated through its own distinct organisation, the Birthing Kit Foundation (Australia).

The Foundation was established to facilitate management of Australian Federal Government funding support for the project through AUSAID. This provides substantive dollar-for-dollar assistance based on the donations of money and time from Zonta Clubs and other project participants.