Africa Makes Uneven Progress in Improving Health Care for Women and Infants [Part 5 of 5] | Voice of America - English
In Africa, 41 thousand infants die annually before they're one month old. Most newborn and maternal deaths occur within days of childbirth, when there is usually no skilled care. The major causes of these deaths are infection, premature birth and asphyxia. One initiative designed to reduce infant and maternal mortality is Countdown to 2015, a partnership of UN agencies, governments and NGOs. They are trying to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals calling for cutting in half the number of deaths of pregnant women and infants over the next seven years.
Expertssay progress is uneven as African countries try to improve health care formothers and infants. For countries experiencing conflict, it's hard to gatherdata on causes of death and the shortage of drugs and supplies that could helpturn the situation around. Experts say hiring researchers could alleviate theproblem. In Zimbabwe, which had excellent health care, economic problems haveled to the departure of trained personnel from the country. Purnima Mane is a top official of the United NationsPopulation Fund (UNFPA). She says, "Maternal health has always been a serious problemin a majority of countries and not enough progress is happening. But there aresome countries that are surprisingly doing well. The picture in general is nottoo great but there are pockets of hope." Several African countries are making gains. A number are already strengthening their primary care systems byincreasing incentives for staff, including salary increases, and temporarilyusing international doctors while training domestic health care workers. Ghanahas developed a team approach in which a paid primary care nurse supervises community health care workersproviding care for mothers and newborns. In South Africa and Botswana, nearlyall pregnant women have access to a midwife or a caesarean section. Other African countries making progress are Eritirea,Malawi, Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Tanzania and Uganda. Theyhave reduced child mortality rates to between 24 and 34 per 1000 live births. Health experts are asking for greater political support. Dr. Monir Islam is the director of the WorldHealth Organisation's  Making Pregnancy Safer Department of Reproductive Health and Research. He says, "We realize that as health care providers we havegot limited power. Deciding about resources, money, investments don't depend onus. It depends on the political people ? so we are saying now we really need toinvolve them. When we talk to parliamentarians, sometimes they get shockedbecause they didn't have that information [about maternal deaths]. Once theyget the information, they can table the motions in parliaments and make surethat government acts more on maternal and newborn health." Islam says the family also has a role to play in ensuringsafe births: South Africa?s minister of health, MantoTshabalala Msimang has said publicly that pregnancy and child bearing aresupposed to be rewarding experiences that bring new life and hope for women,their families and communities. Health experts say they can increase their chances towardreaching that goal by monitoring local access to health care services andasking their governments to renew their commitment to young families. They say communities can go a long way toward reaching that goal by monitoring local access to health care services and asking their governments to renew their commitment to young families. South Africa?s minister of health, MantoTshabalala Msimang has said publicly that pregnancy and child bearing aresupposed to be rewarding experiences that bring new life and hope for women,their families and communities.