From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Thu Jul 17 2008 - 13:05:43 EDT
Good Governance, Improved Medical Training Help Improve Maternal Health
By Unathi Kondile
Cape Town, South Africa
17 July 2008
Report on Improving Maternal Health Systems in Africa - Download (MP3)
Report on Improving Maternal Health Systems in Africa - Listen (MP3)
More than 300,000 African women die each year from pregnancy-related
causes. And in 15 African countries, one out of four children will not
live to see their fifth birthday. Experts say over half could have been
prevented with better low-cost medical care, including access to health
facilities. Leading the charge to reduce child and maternal mortality is
an international initiative called Countdown to 2015 - Maternal, Newborn
and Child Health. The program is being conducted by the UN, national
governments and health-related NGOs. Its goal is to cut in half the
number of deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth over the next seven
years. Voice of America English to Africa reporter Unathi Kondile in
Cape Town says a recent report by the global campaign called Countdown
to 2015 identified 68 countries that account for almost all of the
maternal and child deaths.
According to Countdown, these countries need much stronger health
systems, which deliver essential services around the clock. But it found
that 54 of the 68 countries face critical shortages of health workers
needed to reduce maternal and child mortality.
Dr. Mickey Chopra runs a research unit in the Medical Research Council
of South Africa.
He says, "We've got to improve the quality of care in our health
systems. That depends on having motivated health workers -- having good
supervision. They must know what to do, know when to give the right
things at the right time. Getting people to do things at the right time
means they need to have the right equipment, knowledge, support to do
that - so this is what the health systems are all about."
One country that has improved healthcare and lowered maternal and child
deaths is Egypt. From the early 1990s, Egypt realized the benefits of
having a good health care system. It began to improve health facilities
and also employed more community healthcare workers to provide skilled
care for mothers. The workers were sent to visit mothers at their homes
and help them with breastfeeding, so the babies get the important
nutrients they need to thrive. The Egyptian health care system also used
mass media to instruct mothers on childcare, including how to prevent
potentially fatal diseases such as diarrhea. Egypt has reduced child
mortality by over half -- to 130 deaths in 100,000 live births.
Eritrea, a low-income country, has also made progress. There, child and
newborn deaths have been reduced by around 4% per year over the last
decade. Basic health services have been improved, including health
services for the poor.
Joy Lawn is a senior research and policy advisor for the Saving Newborn
Live Program of Save the Children-US, which is funded by the Gates
Foundation. Lawn says Eritrea, Egypt and 14 other countries are reducing
child and mother mortality by taking similar steps:
"Obviously good governance is extremely helpful - as are consistent
investments in health and particularly investments that target high
impact interventions. So for instance we can invest a lot in health but
maybe we're in the wrong things or investing in the wrong people. We may
be just looking after rich people in large cities but not looking after
people in poor areas."
Many reasons have been cited for poor health care systems and lack of
good care. But health experts say most of the affected countries need
evidence comprehensive data to improve policies. Health experts say
better data collection on maternal and child health - and a renewed
commitment by national governments - should go a long way toward meeting
the Millennium Challenge goal of cutting birth-related mortality.
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