KAMPALA, Uganda–As Uganda joins the rest of the world tomorrow (11/April/2018) to commemorate the International Day of Maternal Health, government has been told to invest more resources in maternal health if the country’s mortality rate is to go down.
Addressing the media at Eureka place Hotel in Ntinda ahead of the upcoming dialogue on maternal Health, Denis Jjuuko, Senior Officer at the Center for Health Human rights and Development (CEHURED) said the country is performing poorly when in fighting mortality rate.
He attributed this to obstetric complications, unsafe abortions and hypertensive diseases among other factors.
CEHURED is a non-government organization which focuses on critical issues of human rights and health systems in East Africa such as sexual and reproductive health rights, trade and health.
Jjuuko noted that if government keeps on availing little resources to maternal health, Uganda will continue lagging behind in achieving the sustainable development goals (Goal 3.1) which targets the reduction of maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by the year 2030.
According to World Health records, globally, 830 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and child birth and 99% of these deaths occur in developing countries like Uganda.
The Ministry of Health reports show that Uganda’s maternal mortality ratio stands at 336/100,000 live births despite the many interventions government has been implementing to ensure that the number goes down to the required world health standard.
It’s on this Back ground that CEHURED in partnership with Uganda Women Parliamentary Association, Action for Rural Women Empowerment, and Family Life Education Programme are planning to convene a multi sectorial dialogue on maternal health in commemoration of the Maternal Health Day.
The Dialogue is also in furtherance of the landmark motion passed by Parliament on the 15th December 2011 urging government to institute measures to address maternal mortality in Uganda and other matters.
The dialogue which will held at the parliament of Uganda on Wednesday 11thApril, 2018 aims at tracking the progress made and the factors that have contributed to that progress in addressing preventable maternal mortality in Uganda.
