Conan Businge
13 October 2008
Kampala — WHIMPERS pierce the darkness blanketing a village near the Ugandan border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, in district of Arua.
Minutes later, a woman and men run through the path, to the far end of the village.
Hours later, wails cut through the village from the direction the group had taken. A mother, Resty Mukiza, has just died giving birth to twins. She lost so much blood and there was no one with a bicycle to rush her to hospital.
Mukiza is one of the thousands of women who die during child birth. Today, the maternal mortality ratio in Uganda is 435 deaths per 100,000 live births. This means about 6,000 pregnant women die yearly from pregnancy-related causes. More than 500,000 mothers die per year globally, of which 98% are in developing countries.
Maternal mortality is death of a mother because of pregnancy and childbirth-related causes. Dr. Hassan Mohtashami, the deputy representative of the United Nations Population Fund, says almost all these deaths can be prevented. This is because the main complications that lead to death are manageable - bleeding, infection, high blood pressure and obstructed labour.
"All pregnancies are at risk and around 15% may end up with these problems. A delay in seeking care or in access to care or in provision of care, may result in death," Dr. Mohtashami says. He adds that maternal mortality can be halved, in seven to 10 years, if political commitment and required resources are available.
Dr. Emmanuel Otaala, the state minister for primary health care, says this month, (October) the Government will launch a road map to improve newborn babies' health and reduction of maternal mortality. It will involve recruitment of more midwives, improvement of healthcentres and procurement of more ambulances to link healthcentres and homes to referral hospitals.
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