Every passing day, one hears nasty stories of a mother dying shortly before or during delivery due to pregnancy complications – completely far from usual incidental causes.
The World Health organization (WHO) terms such incidents as maternal mortality – meaning the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of a pregnancy.
WHO also defines neonatal mortality as death of a child who is born alive, but dies within the first 28 days of life – having unconsciously enjoyed life for shortest term.
Reports from Save the Children 2013, say in Tanzania, one third of all Tanzanian newborn deaths happen on the day they are born – very unfortunate. “When a baby is born alive and does not survive, it indicates poor quality delivery care,’ according to the report.
A review of maternal and child deaths, made at a joint forum between the Tanga City Council -the organizers- and Tree of Hope – a local non-governmental organization, has observed that there is hope at the end of the tunnel – at least in as far as Tanga City and its peripherals is concerned.
Esther Kimweri, District Maternal and Reproductive Health Coordinator, told her audience- health workers, nurses, midwives, clinicians and laboratory technicians that mortality rates had shown an improvement for the last five years. Narrating the statistics, she revealed that in 2012, 36 mothers died while newborns who died during the period were 168. Those under five were 66.
In 2013, she said, 38 women died. Newborns were 94 while statistics for under fives was 180. Statistics for 2014 show 35 (women), newborns – 216 and those under five- 104. Year 2015 saw 23 women die, newborns- 216 and those under 5 years 63.
This year, reveal the statistics, 10 women died between January and September. New borns were 105 while those under 5 years was 66. The Coordinator mentioned the causes of deaths to both mothers and newborns to exlampsia, post partarn hemorrhage, anaemia, HIV infection, abortion, sepsis and raptures of uterus.
Tree of Hope’s Director, Fortunata Manyeresa, told the “Daily News” on the precincts of the meeting that if the trend on mortality rate continued to be maintained, the figures would be taken down tremendously.
“We are happy that the seminars we had organised for the health workers – particularly on the rights of clients- patients and their families as well as traditional birth attendants, midwives and nurses and mass media, had positive impacts,” boasted Manyeresa.
Apparently, Tree of Hope had, about four years or so ago, conducted seminars under a pilot project on Maternal health through Human Rights Based Approach (RBA). Under the initiative, RBA focused on reduction of maternal deaths.
The project was all about empowering people know and claim their rights and increasing ability and accountability of individuals and institutions who are responsible for respecting and fulfilling the rights.
“It is a situation where people are given greater opportunities in shaping decisions that impact on their human rights,” says Warehema Kibaha, Tree Hope Legal Officer, adding “An RBA means that all forms of discrimination in the realization of rights must be prohibited and eliminated”.
should create non discriminatory attitudes towards your clients/ patients” he had lectured sometime back. Dorcas Pima, a senior health officer, says nurses and midwives in Tanzania are guided by a Code of Professional Conduct which sets out conventional principles and expectations – binding to all nurses and midwives in the country.