Gauteng is becoming a healthier place for pregnant women and children
Gauteng has seen a sharp decline in the number of children dying before their fifth birthday in the past seven years. The mortality rate for children under the age of five has decreased from 10.7% in 2006 to 3.4% as at April 2013.
This can be attributed largely to amongst other initiatives the Kangaroo Mother Care which has been implemented in all Gauteng hospitals with maternity services, training of health workers on Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses and a successful immunization programme.
Strategies implemented to combating the HIV and AIDS, the provision of dedicated obstetric ambulances, implementation of the Saving Mothers initiatives and ongoing in service training for doctors and midwives have also helped in ensuring a 13.5% decline in the number of mothers dying during child birth.
The ratio of maternal deaths has decreased from 167.7/100 000 live births in the period 2005 to 2007 to 145/100 000 live births for the period 2008 to 2010. To sustain these achievements and to celebrate February as Reproductive Health month, Gauteng MEC for Health, Hope Papo is encouraging pregnant women to know their health status and that of their children.
The drive to encourage our people to know their status will not only assist the department in its goal to reduce infant and maternal deaths but will also ensure that the mothers and their babies live a long and healthy life.
“We encourage women who suspect that they might be pregnant to present themselves at our health facilities for testing and to begin ante-natal visits before they reach they reach 20 weeks of pregnancy. This will ensure that all complications are identified early and appropriate treatment is provided,” said MEC Papo.
“Mothers should ensure that their children receive the necessary immunizations in order to eliminate death from preventable causes,” added MEC Papo.
Immunisation services are provided daily by all clinics and some hospitals in Gauteng. In this province, coverage of children under five years has consistently been above the national target of 90% of all children in the age group.
In the last two years, the department improved services for mothers and children. These initiatives included ensuring that three out of every four new mothers were visited at home within six days of delivery; approximately eight out of ten pregnant women (80.5%) who were HIV positive were placed on long term Anti-Retroviral Therapy as they were severely immune-compromised.
Although this is primarily intended to treat the mother, it also prevents transmission of HIV to the baby. HIV positive women who do not require long term Anti-Retroviral Therapy during pregnancy receive a shorter course of ARVs.
“In Gauteng we have achieved 99% coverage of babies who are born of HIV positive mothers. In the year 2012/13, 0nly 2.4% of babies born to HIV positive mothers proved to be HIV infected when tested at the age of six weeks, a rate which is below the national target of 5%,” the MEC said.
“The department’s exclusive breastfeeding campaign is also assisting in increasing the number of healthy babies,” concludes MEC Papo.
Enquiries:
Simon Zwane
Cell: 082 551 9892
Twitter: @gautenghealth
