Experts dismayed by high number of maternal deaths in Uganda

Experts from World Health Organization (WHO) have been dismayed by the high number of expectant mothers who die in the process of delivering in Uganda.

This was during Save the Mothers East Africa Conference held over the weekend at Uganda Christian University (UCU) under the theme: “Unlocking Innovations for Reproductive Health Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health-RMNCAH Continuum of Care in the Wake of the Covid-19 Pandemic.”

Dr Olive Sentumbwe Mugisa, the Family Health and Population Adviser from WHO said 16 mothers die every day after losing a lot of blood and also many children die along the process either by being born tired or too small (premature).

"Some get pressure without being aware and it's the second to kill women, their legs get swollen, this occurs to any pregnant woman even when she may never have experienced high blood pressure," she said.

She advised the government to invest more in training programmes for communities on maternal health if they must reduce maternal deaths in the country.

"Many women give birth in their communities more than in health facilities," Dr Sentumbwe said.

Ms Edith Grace Naluwende from Save the Mothers said Covid-19 had an impact as some adolescents were subjected to Gender-Based Violence and child labour.

“Many girls became mothers without preparation, some died during labour and others survived but with C-sections,” she said.

Research by WHO shows that globally in 2015, 303,000 women died from pregnancy-related causes, 2.7 million babies died during the first 28 days of life and 2.6 million babies were stillborn. 

Although in March 2021, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics reported that the maternal mortality rate dropped from 438 deaths per 100,000 births in 2011 to 368 deaths per 100,000 in 2021, the experts believe more is needed to reduce the number further.