Why antenatal care is key in cutting down maternal deaths

Mtwara. Maternal deaths in Tanzania can further be cut down if more emphasis is put on educating pregnant women to seek antenatal care services early enough.

Experts say that due to lack of right information on pregnancy, most women in upcountry regions end up delivering in their homes.

In Mtwara Region, a quarterly report shows that out of 9,000 women who gave birth in last quarter, more than 700 gave birth at home and on their way to the hospital.

Mtwara Regional Medical Officer Dr Silvia Mamkwe told The Citizen in an interview that home deliveries are risking the lives of the pregnant women and their unborn babies.

Delivering at home, she said, means that, “the women are not being attended to by trained health workers during child birth. This increases high chances of maternal death.”

The medic said that early antenatal clinic visit will ensure that women get four doses an antimalarial tablets (Intermittent Preventive Treatment) because malaria in pregnancy has been found to contribute to maternal deaths.

Currently, maternal mortality ratio in Tanzania stands at 556 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to the current Demographic and Health Survey.

The government aims at cutting down the ratio to 292 per 100,000 live births by the year 2020, as per Health Sector Plan (HSSP IV).

According to Dr Mamkwe, the quarterly reports in Mtwara region came as part of the boost provided by USAID Boresha Afya program.

The funds from the program have helped the reginal health authorities to collect quarterly reports in identifying the different health challenges as well as collecting data from all hospitals easily.

The program aims at addressing health service gaps among 43 Councils in Njombe, Iringa, Morogoro, Lindi, Mtwara and Ruvuma.

Deloitte Consulting Limited joins it to implement the program with other partners like Engender Health and Management and Development for Health (MDH) and Family Health International.