Namibia's Ohangwena Region has been chosen for the initial implementation of a reproductive health project due to its poor maternal and child health indicators, Namibia Press Agency (NPA) reported. A new report by the Emergency Obstetric Care revealed that 43 percent of women in the region gave birth at health facilities while 57 percent did so at home in 2007 and 2008. An earlier report also revealed Ohangwena has no facility that offers basic emergency obstetric care. Namibia's First Lady Penehupifo Pohamba made the comments while officially inaugurating two additional buildings at the Eenhana Maternity Waiting Home here recently. “This is a big concern as 90 percent of the region's population live in the rural area,” said Pohamba. The First Lady said long distances also contribute to poor utilization of health services, and that strategic location of health facilities, such as birthing shelters, is critical to reduce maternal and child deaths in Ohangwena. “It is critical to improve the means of transport for the region,” she said. The First Lady also said that one of her priorities as patron of Maternal and Child Health Agenda in Namibia is to make maternal and child health services accessible to pregnant women and their newborn babies through resource mobilization. “It is my dream to see maternal shelters wherever they are needed in all 13 regions (of the country),” she said. The new buildings at the Eenhana Maternity Waiting Home was constructed by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) at N. dollars 300,000.