The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged Uganda to enhance accountability in hospitals to curb preventable deaths of mothers and newborns.
This call comes amid the WHO’s preliminary global report on surveillance and response to maternal and perinatal deaths, presented during the Global Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) Technical Working Group meeting in Kampala.
Dr. Elizabeth Mgamb, WHO Emergency Preparedness and Response Team Lead in Uganda, emphasized the importance of reviewing each hospital death to identify underlying causes and address them effectively.
Uganda’s maternal death rate of 189 per 100,000 live births is still far above the global target of less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030, as highlighted in the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS) 2022 report.
While there has been progress, with a reduction in maternal deaths from 418 per 100,000 births in 2006 to the current figures, more efforts are needed to prevent these deaths.
Dr. Mgamb attributed the reduction in maternal and newborn deaths to the implementation of MPDSR across all levels in Uganda.
Dr. Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary at the Health Ministry, underscored the importance of addressing challenges such as late patient referrals, teenage pregnancies, and inadequate health budgets.
She emphasized the need to strengthen maternal death reviews and learn from global best practices to further reduce maternal and child mortality rates.
The meeting aims to assess progress, share lessons learned, and identify remaining challenges in maternal and child health care.
Uganda’s innovative approaches and commitment to reducing maternal and child deaths have positioned it as a focal point for global discussions on improving healthcare outcomes.
