U.S health initiative cuts maternal deaths by third

The first year of the Saving Mothers Giving Life initiative meant to reduce maternal mortality saw deaths from childbirth cut by a third, according to a report released January 9.

Saving Mothers’ first annual report, Making Pregnancy and Childbirth Safe in Uganda and Zambia details outcomes from the first year of the five-year initiative which began in June 2012.

It demonstrates that there is a 30 per cent decrease in maternal mortality in the target districts of Kabarole, Kibaale, Kamwenge, and Kyenjojo in Uganda and 35 percent in four of Zambia’s districts.

This initiative is led by the U.S Global Health Initiative (GHI), in partnership with Merck for Mothers, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Every Mother Counts, Project C.U.R.E. and the Government of Norway.

The U.S. committed $75m to this partnership.

“Uganda has not only seen a 30 percent reduction in maternal mortality in the four districts participating in the program, but has also registered a 28 percent increase in the number of women who received prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/Aids services, said Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, Director General of the Ministry of Health during the report launch in Washington, D.C.

A gynecologist attends to a pregnant woman at Mulago Referral Hospital

She also said the districts increased the number of facilities providing basic emergency obstetric and newborn care and trained and hired 147 new doctors, nurses, and midwives.

With greater access to obstetric care, deaths from haemorrhage and obstructed labour were also reduced.

Health workers were trained to address childbirth-related complications affecting newborns, and saw an 11 percent reduction in institutional prenatal mortality.

Additionally, the districts also saw a 27 percent increase in the number of infants who received HIV prophylaxis and increase in the number of women giving birth in health facilities.

USAID administrator Dr Rajiv Shah said that in Uganda alone, 30,000 transportation vouchers provided by Saving Mothers, were redeemed and used.

Zambia and Uganda are the first two countries to operationalise the initiative because of their high ratios of maternal mortality. Uganda continues to struggle with high numbers of women who die during pregnancy and from complications of childbirth.

It is estimated 438 women out of every 100,000 die in pregnancy or childbirth every year – ranking Uganda 141 out of 172 high burden countries globally.