First Lady: Health sector on sick bed

By Frank Aman and Fariji Msonsa

Poor health services, lack of medical personnel and facilities have hampered service delivery in the sector in Sub-Saharan Africa countries, including Tanzania.

This was said at Mnazi Mmoja grounds in Dar es Salaam yesterday by First Lady Salma Kikwete during the launch of a new proggramme under the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF). The project will see at least 4,000 midwives in Tanzania trained in a period of three years. In association with the government, the foundation intends to raise about Sh20 billion for the training that would cost about Sh4 million per midwife. 

As a result of poor infrastructure and services, maternal and infant mortality rates are high in the region.
This comes as the countries experience a shortage of midwives, poor medical services and lack of awareness among communities. Only 50 per cent of expectant mothers in Tanzania give birth in medical centres.

Despite the efforts made by the government in reducing maternal and infant mortality rates, the ratio is still alarming due to inadequate professionalism and midwives.  For the past four centuries, she said, the world has had almost the same rate of maternal deaths. However, developed countries have managed to alleviate the situation as the developing ones struggle, especially sub-Saharan countries.

“The world report on the mothers’ situation shows that about 35,000 women experience maternal complications while 900 of them lose their lives. Also, the reports show that countries in the southern parts of Sahara register the highest rate, showing that only 40 per cent of women in the region have the possibility of delivering in health centres,” she said.
For his part, the minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Hussein Mwinyi, said the campaign comes at a time when the government wishes to have a rational number of health attendants among them midwives. The campaign will not only add the number of professionals, but also reduce other risks like HIV transmission from mother to child, malaria infection and loss of blood in expectant mothers.

He advised the expecting mothers to develop the habit of attending antenatal and postnatal clinics and shun the habit of delivering in their homes. This, he said, would also contribute to efforts towards alleviating the problem.

“Even as the government works to intensify the services and bring them closer to communities, the current statistics show that only 50 per cent of mothers deliver in hospitals or health centres. I call  on mothers to ensure they attend clinics at least four times during pregnancy and after delivery,” said Dr Mwinyi.

Source:The Citizen

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