Africa-Press – Liberia. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has dedicated a modern maternal waiting home for pregnant women who live far from health facilities in that part of Nimba County.
Speaking during the dedication ceremony, the Officer in Charge (OIC) of UNFPA Liberia, Mr. Abraham Sesay said the construction of the maternal waiting home will ease the problem of pregnant women who travel long distances on bad roads to reach the health facility for delivery.
The modern maternal waiting home, which is comprised of bedrooms for pregnant women, nurses’ station and a delivery room will help to reduce maternal mortality in Zoe Geh District.
Liberia is among countries with the highest maternal mortality rate in the world. Until 2019, statistics showed that in every 100,000 deliveries, 1,072 women died. However, the number has reduced steadily to 742 deaths as of 2019.
Giving out some statistics on the state of maternal mortality, Mr. Sesay said that between 2013 and 2019, out of every 100 pregnant women that go to health facility in Liberia to give birth, at least 80 He also unearthed that by the same yea. And during the same time, the number of pregnant women attended to by trained midwives, nurses and doctors increased from 60 out of 100 women to 84.
Mr. Sesay attributed this gradual decline to the intervention of the government and some of its partners including UNFA and PLAN International. “This statistic is alarming for Liberia and the globe,” he said.
“It will interest you to know that for Liberia, the majority of the cases (deaths) were known to have come from bleeding during delivery, obstructed liver and other consequences of abortion. These alarming figures means that we must collectively work to make sure archive the global goals by 2030.”
He also called on the gathering at the dedication ceremony to encourage pregnant women to go to the maternal waiting home when their times are nearing.
“Hon. Minister, today we are pleased to turn over to you this modern facility for use by the people of Bahn. We also called on you the people of Bahn to bring all pregnant women at the waiting home for delivery. To you the men, don’t forget to continue to support your women when you bring them at the waiting home.”
The Health Minister, Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah thanked the UNFPA family and partners for the new facility and called on the people of Bahn to use it wisely. Dr. Jallah said, reducing maternal mortality remains a major priority of the CDC government; and as part of its Pro Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD).
She also assured the administration of the Bahn Health Center of an increased budgetary allocation in the pending fiscal year. “We want to thank the UNFPA family and her partners for the gesture. We also want to thank the European Union for the support and all other partners. We can assure you that our people will use this facility wisely for its intended purpose,” Minister Jallah assured the UNFPA family and partners.
The maternal waiting home home brings to two, major projects undertaken by UNFPA this year in Bahn. Earlier this year, UNFPA turned over 93 housing units to the government of Liberia for use by refugees at the Bahn Refugee Camp who fled political tension in Cote de Voire.
