UN Agency calls for more African states investment in the health sector

Despite Africa having made steps in improving maternal health the United Nations Population Fund UNFPA has called on governments in the continent to increase their efforts to ensure no woman dies while giving life.

According to UNFPA maternal mortality reduced by 44% between 1990 and 2015 since global maternal deaths per year reduced from 532,000 deaths in 1990 to 303,000 at the end of 2015.

‘In Africa we have a lot to celebrate about gains in reducing deaths during childbirth although we want every childbirth to be safe. We want every pregnancy to be wanted,’ said Executive Director programs for UNFPA Dr. Natalian Kanem, during the high level event in Nairobi taking place at the margins of TICAD VI Summit.

Speaking to journalists on Friday UNFPA Regional Director Arab States Office, Luay Shabaneh cautioned that all indicators that showed maternal health and the health system in general was of late beginning to deteriorate despite earlier trends that showed improvement.

‘If you look at Yemen, Sudan, Libya, and Somalia, some of these countries have achieved substantial progress but they are at risk again. More investment is needed to look after the woman’s health and adolescent girls. We also need to combine humanitarian and development support obtained by countries to support the vulnerable,’ said Shabaneh.

Shabaneh said that pregnant adolescent women were always at risk when fleeing their countries seeking better living conditions beyond confines of their borders.

‘They are dying on the seas, the borders and some succumb to harsh weather conditions. When touching issues of international migration and population mobility, governments should seek solutions that touch on maternal health and not security only,’ he said.

UNFPA said that conflict was a hindrance in achieving a vibrant health sector.

‘Maternal mortality is much higher in countries that face unrest because the systems are broken down, services are unavailable, and healthcare providers are running for their own lives. There was a situation in South Sudan where a woman went into labour and she reached the hospital with difficulty. She was lucky because she was helped by a health care provider who had locked in the facility by militia men,’ explained Chief Media and Communications Officer, UNFPA Abubakar Dungus.

While striving to achieve maternal health in Africa interventions have been made like the launch of Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of maternal Mortality Rate in Africa CARMMA in 45 countries.