The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda has registered a decline in the number of women who die every day while giving birth.
According to reports from the Ministry of Health, 5 mothers who deliver in health facilities are dying. This is 11 women less than the 16 mothers registered in the 2016 Uganda Demographics and Health Survey.
Officials at the health ministry are attributing the decrease to government investment in health.
Dr. Richard Mugahi, the assistant commissioner in charge of maternal health says the decrease in cases has been picked up from information supplied by health facilities.
The decrease in deaths is picked from the Ministry of Health Information Management System where different health facilities report deaths.
The biggest cause of death among mothers is haemorrhage contributing to 25 percent of all deaths and preeclampsia, 15 percent of the deaths. Other registered causes of death among women are infections such as malaria.
Dr. Mugahi attributes the decrease to increased government investment in health. He says more women are able to deliver from health centres today than in 2016 due to proper staffing and stocking of health facilities.
Similarly, Margaret Muhanga, the minister of state for health in charge of primary health care says the government is working towards reducing maternal deaths.
“The government is implementing a policy of having one fully equipped HC III every sub-county. This has increased the number of mothers delivering under skilled birth attendance,” she said.
The ministry of health is expected to release a new UDHS report later this year. Dr Mugahi says they expect the maternal mortality rate will also decrease.
“Now the figures stand at 335 per 100,000 live births but we expect this figure to reduce given the data that we are seeing tricking in from health facilities,” he said.
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