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Maternal mortality on Mother's Day

20 March 2009


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Ivan Lewis MP, Minister for International Development, reports from Uganda on the continuing efforts to combat maternal mortality.

On a recent visit to northern and eastern Uganda, Ivan Lewis witnessed ground-breaking work on maternal mortality. Although Soroti is one of the poorest districts in the country, the innovative maternity referral unit at the hospital there has cut maternal mortality by almost 75% since 2000 (from 885 to 221 deaths for every 100,000 live births in 2006). The project bridges a significant service gap for pregnant women, exemplified by new mother Christine who told the minister that, whilst in labour, she travelled from clinic to clinic for two days on a friend’s motorbike before finally being referred to the safety of Soroti hospital.

During the visit, the minister also announced £15 million of funding over the next five years for a joint UN programme aimed at improving gender equality in Uganda. The minister was joined at the announcement by Uganda’s new Finance Minister, the first woman in this post in Uganda’s history.

Despite a two-year cessation of hostilities, progress towards recovery in Uganda remains slow. Poverty levels in the north of the country, at 62%, are double the national average and whilst nearly 65% of internally displaced persons have now returned to their homes, service delivery is very weak when they get there. In discussions with staff at one clinic, the challenges facing Uganda’s health system became clear: only four of the 15 health centre workers had been paid in the last three months and a shortage of accommodation was a problem. There is clearly still much work to be done.

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