Saving Mothers Technical Report, at Bloem Spa Lodge
27 February 2007
Programme Director
Ladies and gentlemen
Today we are proud to provide you with the third Saving Mothers Report. This
technical report is of high quality and reflects hard work and input from
experts in assessing maternal deaths.
The National Committee for Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths
(NCCEMD) is, to my knowledge, the only such committee in Africa and is of great
assistance to develop programmes that would reduce maternal deaths. The
recommendations are strategic in nature and should, if implemented fully,
reduce deaths.
The purpose of today is to inform the role players of the outcome and the
trends of the saving mothers report. Communities as well as healthcare workers
need to take note of these trends as both parties are important role players in
making childbirth safer.
During the past years the recommendations have been formulated and refined,
unfortunately the implementation of the recommendations during the past years
has been slower than anticipated. Government is very serious about reducing
maternal deaths and reach the targets set in the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs). For the first time the recommendations include a directive that policy
makers must include implementation of the recommendations in the key
performance areas of the responsible managers and senior managers.
Chief executive officers (CEOs), district managers and maternity managers
have to ensure that all new pregnant women are screened for sexually
transmitted diseases, urinary tract infection, HIV, tuberculoses (TB) and high
blood pressure. As pregnancy allows people access to health facilities for all
reasons other than being sick, these visits present a valuable opportunity to
screen for problems before the person becomes ill. This screening approach will
prevent a number of hospitalisations for illnesses that would otherwise have
presented as an acute emergency.
The department of obstetrics and gynaecology have also been requested to
update their protocol in line with the recommendations and national guidelines.
This will be used as the protocol throughout the province and protocol books
will be issued to all new employees in the field of maternal health.
We recognise that transport is a major role player in providing a safe
childbirth environment. Improving transport is a high priority to the
Department of Health. Additional ambulances have been procured and are in the
process of delivery. An Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Imbizo was held in the
latter half of last year to pave the way for improved interventions in this
critical area.
A new focus in this strategy is to empower communities to get involved in
actions to reduce maternal deaths. This focus will also assist, not only to
save mothers but to save babies as well.
With this launch of the saving mothers technical report today, the Free Sate
Provincial Government is placing focus on maternal health. Focus on preventing
maternal deaths will also reduce morbidity during childbirth and therefore
result in the overall improved well-being of the community as a whole.
I would like to invite my colleagues in the other sectors to also get
involved in saving mothers. Together we can make a difference.
At the turn of the present millennium great focus was placed on critical
health issues globally.
One of these health issues are mothers and childbirth. Deaths among mothers and
children are astronomical, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The World Health
Organisation (WHO) put focus to maternal health by including the reduction of
maternal mortality as one of the MDGs. This challenge is multi sectoral and
includes issues such as poverty, literacy and access to healthcare.
The national Minister recognised the importance of maternal health and
instructed that a committee for confidential enquiry into all maternal deaths
be set up.
This committee, appointed by the Minister, has the mandate to assess the
factors leading to maternal deaths and to make recommendations to the Minister
on how to reduce these deaths.
I would also like to thank the assessors and all the health workers who work
so hard to improve the safety of mothers and children for their dedication and
valuable contributions in these difficult times.
I thank you!
Issued by: Department of Health, Free State Provincial Government
27 February 2007
