Experts convene to tackle preventable maternal, newborn deaths

On Monday morning, maternal and newborn experts, officials from health ministries, civil society organisations and the academia from over 17 countries across the world, Uganda inclusive, gathered at Skyz Hotel in Kampala, for the Global Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) Technical Working Group meeting.

During the five-day meeting participants will share, and discuss a global report on maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response. 

This, according to the team lead Emergency Preparedness and Response team Uganda, World Health Organization (WHO), Elizabeth Mgamb, is geared towards stopping preventable maternal and perinatal deaths.

(L-R) Queen Dube Chief of Health Services in the Ministry of Health in Malawi interacting with Diana Atwiine Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Health and Elisa Rutahigwa Member Parliament Rukugiri Municipality during Global Maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response (MPDSR) Technical working group meeting on March 11, 2024.

In order to achieve that, Mgamb said there is a need for review because each and every death counts.

“We have to review and get backwards to the roots so that we are able to know what is really causing the deaths. That way we shall be able to put a response to address some of the issues,” Mgamb said.

In her opening remarks, the health ministry’s permanent secretary, Dr Diana Atwine, called for research and innovations as a strategy to end maternal and perinatal deaths that the country is currently grappling with. 

A perinatal death is the death of a fetus (stillbirth) or the death of a newborn baby.

“We need to look at innovations that we can embrace to help us improve our reviews,” Dr Atwine said. 

She further noted that the death of our mothers and newborn babies largely has a component of quality improvement gaps. 

“If we reduce the gaps, we will be able to implement better the maternal and child health care services,” Dr Atwine said.

Dr Atwiine said maternal and perinatal death surveillance response fosters a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous learning within healthcare facilities and beyond.

Additionally, it is an essential quality of care intervention for improving maternal, perinatal, and neonatal survival, which catalyses progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 on global health and well-being. 

The 2022 Uganda Demographic Health Survey findings reveal that the number of mothers dying due to pregnancy and childbirth-related complications reduced from 366 per 100,000 live births in 2016 to 189 per 100,000 live births. This is against the target of 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.

Meanwhile, newborn deaths stand at 22 per 1000 live births, and the target is to reduce the newborn mortality rate to 12 or less than 12 per 1000 live births by 2030.