Hon. Margret Muhanga the State Minister for Health in charge of Primary Healthcare has appealed to the general public to support all safe-motherhood efforts by government as this will help tackle the remaining challenges of maternal mortality and morbidity in Uganda.
This, according to Muhanga, will guide and help them leave no one behind for safe-motherhood in this century.
“Our annual reports since 2015 show a great reduction in maternal death in health facilities, I want to appreciate all stakeholders especially skilled birth attendants who have made a valuable contribution to this improvement, as government we are still committed to working harder in the coming years to ensure that no mother dies from a preventable condition,” she asserted.
Muhanga, who was speaking to journalists at the pre-safe motherhood media meeting on Wednesday also noted that as a country, now is right the time to accelerate progress towards achieving the sustainable development goal target of reducing maternal mortality ratio and new born mortality rate hence everyone should support our efforts.
Safe motherhood is an initiative of the UN launched in 1987 with a goal of ensuring that women go through pregnancy and childbirth safely, and also to give birth to healthy and reinforced children by inclusion of reducing maternal mortality.
This year, the National Safe motherhood conference will be held from October 23 to 25 in Kampala, and it will focus on addressing the leading causes of maternal mortality across the country.
Dubbed under the theme “Reach Every Mother & Every New born” the conference will also offer the country an opportunity to reflect on the progress made in delivering the different components of safe motherhood and to also provide input in key agenda and campaigns focused on improving maternal and new born health.
Dr. Richard Mugahi the assistant commissioner Reproductive and Infant health Ministry of Health noted that the Ministry has currently created partnerships to raise awareness and implementation of safe motherhood at various health system levels and he called upon the media to collaborate with them in creating awareness on some barriers that are still affecting mothers.
Mugahi also added that since they have increased the number of skilled care, they no longer advocate for traditional midwives and they no longer work with them hence encouraging all mothers to visit their health centers.