Petronella Sibeene
14 November 2008
Windhoek — Concerned about the appalling maternal mortality rate in the country, a high-ranking official from the World Health Organisation (WHO) headquarters is in the country to assess the type of assistance Namibia would need in order to rescue the situation.
Assistant Director General of Family and Community Health, Daisy Mafubelu, is on a three-day mission. She arrived in the country on Wednesday.
Yesterday, she met the Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Richard Kamwi, where serious concern was expressed on skyrocketing numbers of mothers who die during childbirth.
A comparison of findings of the Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) carried out in 1992, 2000 and 2006 shows that the situation is worsening.
According to Kamwi, 225/100000 cases were recorded in 1992 and increased to 271/100000 in 2000. The last DHS shows an increase to 449/100000.
"This isn't a situation one can be complacent with, the population is small and we cannot be losing lives. The situation needs urgent addressing," the minister said.
Overall, 80 percent of pregnant women deliver with the assistance of skilled birth attendants, while 20 percent give birth with the assistance of either traditional birth attendants or relatives.
Some of the main contributing factors to maternal mortality are obstructed or prolonged labour (21.7 percent), severe pre-eclampsia (26.1 percent), excessive bleeding (34.8 percent), complications of abortion (4.3 percent) and ectopic pregnancy (4.3 percent).
"All these are areas that should be prevented, no woman should die because of severe loss of blood," the minister said.
One of the main contributing factors is lack of trained personnel to handle complicated cases during childbirth and part of the solution to the problem, the minister said, is to embark on the training of nurses or health personnel in midwifery.
Although district hospitals have 100 percent proportion of skilled personnel for normal delivery 24 hours a day, health centres only have 56.3 percent and 18.5 percent at clinics.
"This is worrisome and needs to be corrected through training," Kamwi added.
The ministry also found that HIV/AIDS plays a role in the status quo with HIV prevalence rate in pregnant women standing at 19.9 percent.
However, through the introduction of prevention of mother-to-child transmission, 80 percent of babies born to positive mothers are negative.
Previously, the ministry lacked emergency obstetric equipment at most of its health facilities, but the minister said that was addressed through the support of partners in health.
Mafubelu echoed these sentiments, saying the numbers are worrisome.
Although Namibia is better compared to some countries south of the Sahara, it is unacceptable that a woman dies during childbirth, she said.
"We need to get to the stage where death of one woman will make the entire country mourn," she stressed.
"I am here to see first-hand and work with the WHO Representative in Namibia (Dr Magda Robalo) to see what package of assistance we can give Namibia in addressing maternal mortality," Mafubelu added.
That might also help the country achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5 that aim at reducing child mortality and improving maternal health
Mafubelu met the First Lady Penehupifo Pohamba yesterday and is expected to meet Prime Minister Nahas Angula today.
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