The deputy minister for Health and Social welfare Dr. Steven Kebwe
told the National Assembly here yesterday that statistics showed that
432 pregnant women died out of 100,000 live births.
Dr Kebwe was responding to a basic question by Special Seat MP
Diana Chilolo (CCM) who had demanded to know the government plan to
empower midwives by allocating some money from its budget to motivate
them to continue to access health facilities.
Responding, the deputy minister said the government was determined
to reduce the number of maternal deaths to 193 out of 100,000 live
births.
Minister added that in efforts to reduce the maternal death the
government had prepared a strategic plan which was launched by President
Jakaya Kikwete in 2008.
Dr. Kebwe said the plan intended to improve and modernise health
system in the country by having the skilled health personnel in health
centres, ensure the availability of medicines and building capacity to
the hospital attendants especially in providing emergency services to
pregnant women.
The deputy minister told the House that the midwives are an
important link in provision of health services to expectant women but
their service delivery remains poor.
Dr. Kebwe said despite the support provided by the midwives but
they too, to some extent, also contribute to the death of pregnant women
because of their lack of requisite skills.
According to Dr. Kebwe, most of midwives send pregnant women to
health centres very late and as a result they arrive at the health
centers in critical conditions.
Dr. Kebwe said his ministry would continue to collaborate with the
midwives as they plan to provide more health education to midwives so
that they can contribute in reducing the number of maternal death so as
to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) number 4-5 by two thirds,
between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate and reduce by
three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio.
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