KAMPALA - South Africa has made strides in fighting pregnancy-related deaths despite being the latecomer to the campaign to reduce maternal deaths in Africa.
In an interview with Sowetan in Uganda recently, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) technical adviser Akinyele Dairo said the SA government's interventions to reduce maternal deaths have had positive results in the country in recent years.
UNFPA, an international development agency that promotes human rights to health and equal opportunity, last week held a three-day workshop on Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA) in Uganda.
CARMMA was launched in 2009 to curb high maternal death rate in Africa, and has 37 countries affiliated to it. South Africa only joined last year.
Dairo said though Southern African countries had the highest HIV infections burden, which contributed to maternal fatalities, South Africa was one of the top performing countries in Africa in the reduction of deaths.
According to UNFPA 2011 statistics SA has 310 deaths per 100 000 live births, which the UNFPA wanted reduced to 38 by 2015. Currently SA records 3200 maternal deaths yearly.
"South Africa is doing well, but it could do better. SA has high standards for itself and that is why people tend to think that the situation (there) is very bad," Dairo said.
"But when comparing SA with other African countries it is doing well. But it performs poorly when it (SA) starts to compare itself to other developed countries like Britain and the US."
According to statistics in the Trends in Maternal Mortality manual, compiled by UNFPA, about 358000 maternal deaths occur around the world every year and 53% of them are recorded in Africa, where one in 39 births result in death.
Besides HIV most maternal deaths are also attributed to malaria, unsafe abortions, infections, obstructed labour and poor nutrition.
Dairo said though South African maternal fatalities have not been consistent, there was a slight improvement.
SA had the highest rate of 360 deaths per 100000 live births in 2005.
"I think the government started responding by intensifying the anti-retroviral treatment and putting more resources into primary healthcare," Dairo said.
He also commended SA for the introduction of the Integrated School Health Programme, which promotes provision of contraceptives at school.
Wilfred Ochan, UNFPA's family planning expert in Uganda, attributed the high rate of HIV infections and maternal fatalities to cultural and religious beliefs, unavailability of contraceptives, and poor infrastructure that prevented mothers from getting to a health facility on time during labour.
"Every pregnancy is a risk in Africa," Ochan said.
SA health department spokesperson Joe Maila was not available for comment. - sifilel@sowetan.co.za
SA 'doing well to curb high maternal deaths'
KAMPALA - South Africa has made strides in fighting pregnancy-related deaths despite being the latecomer to the campaign to reduce maternal deaths in Africa.
In an interview with Sowetan in Uganda recently, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) technical adviser Akinyele Dairo said the SA government's interventions to reduce maternal deaths have had positive results in the country in recent years.
UNFPA, an international development agency that promotes human rights to health and equal opportunity, last week held a three-day workshop on Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA) in Uganda.
CARMMA was launched in 2009 to curb high maternal death rate in Africa, and has 37 countries affiliated to it. South Africa only joined last year.
Dairo said though Southern African countries had the highest HIV infections burden, which contributed to maternal fatalities, South Africa was one of the top performing countries in Africa in the reduction of deaths.
According to UNFPA 2011 statistics SA has 310 deaths per 100 000 live births, which the UNFPA wanted reduced to 38 by 2015. Currently SA records 3200 maternal deaths yearly.
"South Africa is doing well, but it could do better. SA has high standards for itself and that is why people tend to think that the situation (there) is very bad," Dairo said.
"But when comparing SA with other African countries it is doing well. But it performs poorly when it (SA) starts to compare itself to other developed countries like Britain and the US."
According to statistics in the Trends in Maternal Mortality manual, compiled by UNFPA, about 358000 maternal deaths occur around the world every year and 53% of them are recorded in Africa, where one in 39 births result in death.
Besides HIV most maternal deaths are also attributed to malaria, unsafe abortions, infections, obstructed labour and poor nutrition.
Dairo said though South African maternal fatalities have not been consistent, there was a slight improvement.
SA had the highest rate of 360 deaths per 100000 live births in 2005.
"I think the government started responding by intensifying the anti-retroviral treatment and putting more resources into primary healthcare," Dairo said.
He also commended SA for the introduction of the Integrated School Health Programme, which promotes provision of contraceptives at school.
Wilfred Ochan, UNFPA's family planning expert in Uganda, attributed the high rate of HIV infections and maternal fatalities to cultural and religious beliefs, unavailability of contraceptives, and poor infrastructure that prevented mothers from getting to a health facility on time during labour.
"Every pregnancy is a risk in Africa," Ochan said.
SA health department spokesperson Joe Maila was not available for comment. - sifilel@sowetan.co.za
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