By: Modupe Adeniyi. Freelance Health Reporter.
Map of Africa showing Uganda.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2024. The Ugandan ministry of health is faced with a complex picture of maternal health. 15% of pregnant women face childbirth complications and although the majority of women can deliver safely without a doctor's intervention, a significant portion still face life-threatening issues.
According to Dr. Richard Mugahi, the 15%, equivalent to around 200,000 women annually, are likely to experience complications such as hemorrhaging, infections, obstructed labor and pre-eclampsia.
A worrying reality is that 15% of deliveries still occur in villages, often without skilled healthcare providers. In such rural areas, access to maternal health services remains limited, with women relying on traditional birth attendants or neighbors. This poses a significant challenge in managing emergencies, especially for those experiencing complications.
"So the Ministry of Health is saying that please, women don't deliver in the villages, even if we have told you 85% will deliver normally, because when you get a complication, the facility that can take good care of is very far away, and we cannot respond. For example, if you start bleeding, you only have two hours to live. There must be a system that saves you, even in those two hours. If you develop high blood pressure, you only have probably three hours to live and life is gone. So that is why we are saying 100% of all women should deliver under skilled birth attendance," Dr. Mugahi emphasized.
According to the Uganda Demographic and Healthy Survey (UDHS), Uganda produces around 1.5 million babies annually, meaning that thousands of women face health risks during childbirth.
However, the Ministry of Health has made significant progress in promoting safe motherhood, reducing maternal mortality, neonatal mortality, infant mortality and under-five mortality.
"We have reduced the maternal mortality ratio from 336 to 189 per 1000 live births. We have been able to reduce neonatal mortality from 27 to 22 per 1000 live births. We have reduced infant mortality from 43 in 2016 to 36 per 1000 live births, and we've been able to reduce under five mortality from 64 and 2016 to now 52 per 1000 life births," noted Dr. Daniel Kyabayinza, the Director of Public Health at the Ministry of Health.
While these improvements are encouraging, the persistent challenges in maternal health, particularly the 15% of women facing complications, highlight the need for continued efforts to ensure access to quality healthcare for all pregnant women in Uganda.
Source: NilePost News
Related:
Pregnancy: Symptoms, Test, Types, Stages, Complications, Care And More
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Published: OCTOBER 30, 2024
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