LEVINA KATO, 13th November 2009 @ 12:21, Total Comments: 1, Hits: 1153
THE White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood (WRA) has called on political leaders and national governments to strengthen health systems and remove barriers that hinder safe motherhood and child safety.
The WRA World Patron, Mrs Sarah Brown, who is also the wife of UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown made this call today at the 2009 Annual Membership Meeting held in Dar es Salaam, in her keynote address delivered via video.
First Ladies Mrs Salma Kikwete, Mrs Thandiwe Banda of Zambia, former First Lady Anna Mkapa attended the event. More than 20 countries throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, the Southern Pacific sought to celebrate 10 years of commitment to enhance woman's access to lifesaving care.
"World leaders will gather again next September to report on what they have done to meet the Millennium Development Goals...while the maternal mortality MDG is the most off track, I know that you are keeping watch and holding those leaders to account, as well as keeping watch on how money for health is spent," Mrs Brown said.
She specifically highlighted increased budget allocations for strengthening health systems, provision of reproductive health services, skilled birth attendance, emergency obstetric and post-partum care as key challenges faced by women in developed and developing world.
She therefore, expressed her alliance's commitment to continue mobilizing communities to hold governments to account for the quality of services and removal of financial, logistical, legal and cultural barriers to care.
According to estimates by different UN agencies, and the World Bank on Maternal Mortality in 2005, every minute a woman dies in pregnancy and child birth, while each year more than 563,000 women die due to complications developed during pregnancy and childbirth.
The figures above are in addition to 10 million women who suffer debilitating illnesses and lifelong disabilities.
Tanzania records one of the highest maternal mortality in the world which is currently standing at 578 deaths per 100,000 live birth annually according to WHO.
Opening the meeting, Acting Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Ms Chiku Nagawa expressed Government's plan to extend health services to remote rural areas.
"We intend to have one hospital and dispensary in each district and ward respectively," Ms Nagawa said, adding this measure will reduce distances that women have to walk to access health services in most areas of the country.
She also said the Government shall continue to train more health professionals in bid to curb the current shortage.
In her keynote remarks, the Zambian First Lady, Mrs Banda, called for concerted efforts and multi-sectoral approach to save mothers and their inborn children from the agony of death.
"We can harness the support of Governments, individuals and many others to fight for the plight of women and girls in our countries," she said.
The Zambian First Lady proposed the development of low-cost community interventions such as the development of kits for mothers to use in home deliveries and prevent infections.
In 2000, the United Nations set a goal to reduce the deaths by 75 per cent by 2015.
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Comment
Thanks so much for an excellent article. I appreciate Levina's emphasis on the need to unite efforts globally and within countries to save the lives of women and newborns needlessly lost in pregnancy and childbirth. By shining a spotlight on the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood's Annual Membership Meeting in Dar es Salaam, she has helped make more people aware that we must work together to ensure all women everywhere access to lifesaving health care. Thanks to Levina Kato and the Daily News, I hope more people will join the White Ribbon Alliance to support the ongoing work in Tanzania to link more women to skilled health workers before, during and after childbirth. Please go to www.whiteribbonalliance.org or send an email to info@whiteribbonalliance.org
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