Maternal deaths not reducing - Health minister
What you need to know:
He attributed the failure of the country to reduce maternal deaths to high fertility rates which see every Ugandan female able to have up to six children, few health workers, lack of equipment in the health facilities, lack of awareness by the public, especially preconceived ideas about family planning and lack of emergency obstetric care.
KAMPALA- The State Minister for Health in charge of General Duties, Dr Elioda Tumwesigye has decried the high number of deaths of women due to pregnancy-related complications.
Speaking at the launch of the maternal health week yesterday, Dr Tumwesigye said the rate of pregnant women who die has not reduced for every 100,000 pregnancies.
He explained that although the budget allocation for the health sector is Shs1.1 trillion per year, only Shs700b goes to maternity health complications.
Deaths
“We have noted a significant improvement in reducing deaths of children dying below one year. However, the number of women dying has not reduced due to a number of reasons,” Dr Tumwesigye said.
“If people could live up to 165 years during the time of Abraham in the Bible when they did not have the technology, then how can we fail to get Ugandans to live up to at least 84 years.”
He attributed the failure of the country to reduce maternal deaths to high fertility rates which see every Ugandan female able to have up to six children, few health workers, lack of equipment in the health facilities, lack of awareness by the public, especially preconceived ideas about family planning and lack of emergency obstetric care.
According to Dr Tumwesigye, 1.2 million women get pregnant every year. He said their main objective of the week is to promote safe motherhood, infant health and nutrition through voluntary counselling and testing, nutrition, education and positive living.
Stanbic Bank’s Chief Executive Philip Odera gave Shs34m to finance the awareness week and support the construction of a birth house in Kasana, Luweero District.