Author: HARRIET KIAMA
AfricaPress-Tanzania: EFFORTS to fight maternal and child deaths in Coast Region have started bearing fruit with districts reporting a decrease in the number of deaths for April-June quarter, it has been revealed.
The region, which was once ranked among those with highest number of maternal and perinatal death cases, is now seeing light at the end of the tunnel as the two districts of Kibaha and Rufiji recorded zero maternal deaths for three consecutive months, while the highest were 3 deaths recorded at Tumbi Regional Hospital.
“A few years ago, the numbers of maternal and newborn deaths in our region was alarming which put our region in a bad position. Our aim is to continue fighting all factors which are contributing to these deaths in all districts and we must succeed,” said Regional Reproductive and Child Health Coordinator Joyce Gordon at a regional medical meeting to review an April-June maternal and perinatal deaths report at Tumbi Hospital this week.
She noted that there were improved health services and an increase in the number of health centres in the region.
She said further that there were 347 health centres in the region and 291 of them were providing reproductive healthcare.
The leading causes for maternal deaths in the region were listed as post-partum haemorrhage (by 33.3 per cent), eclampsia (26.7 per cent), raptured uterus (20 per cent) and anaemia (13.3 per cent) while causes for perinatal deaths were mentioned as birth asphyxia (28.4 per cent), eclampsia (18.2 per cent) and foetal distress (9.1 per cent).
It was also observed that, delays in starting maternal clinic contributed to a number of deaths which could be avoided whereby participants agreed to increase public awareness by involving local authorities.
On the other hand, participants shared ideas on how they were dealing with anaemia facing pregnant mothers in their areas.
Anaemia was mentioned as one of leading cause of deaths in expectant mothers in the region.
Contributing to a discussion, one of the facilitators, Dr Nyasatu Mwendwa said anaemia in expectant mothers could be avoided if proper education on eating habits was provided to communities as a whole.
Acting Regional Medical Officer, Dr Hussein Athuman, while closing the meeting encouraged participants to work timely on the resolutions made to achieve better results in the future.
The meeting was facilitated by Regional Medical Department in collaboration with Korea Fund for International Healthcare (Kofih) and was attended by district reproductive and child health coordinators from all nine councils: Kisarawe, Kibaha Town, Rufiji, Kibiti, Mkuranga, Bagamoyo, Chalinze, Kibaha Rural and Mafia and mother and child specialists and other medical personnel.
