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25% of babies born without medical assistance
25% of babies born without medical assistance

25% of babies born without medical assistance

Jemima Beukes
South Africa is the only country in the sub-region with a sexual, reproductive, maternal, new-born and adolescent health (SRMNAH) workforce that is large enough and has the appropriate skills mix to meet all of the country's needs.

This was a finding of 'The State of the World's Midwifery', a 2017 report commissioned by the United Nations Population Fund for its eastern and southern Africa office.

According to this report launched this month, by 2015, on average, 61 000 pregnant women in Namibia were attended to by skilled medical staff, while 1.9 million women accessed pre-pregnancy services. In 2015, 86 000 births were recorded in Namibia hence, 25 000 women did not have access to a medical worker while giving birth.

The report added that there were 247 000 a routine antenatal visits while 243 000 visits were recorded for post-partum and post-natal care in Namibia. According to the report an estimated 265 maternal deaths were reported in 2015 in Namibia, while Mauritius is the only African country below target standing at 53 maternal deaths out of 100 000 live births.

In 2015, an estimated 16 babies died within a month in Namibia while 49 estimated neonatal deaths were reported in neighbouring Angola.

An estimated 11 stillbirths per 1 000 live births were reported in Namibia in 2015. In her foreword, Julitta Onabanjo UNDPF regional director, indicated that the eastern and southern Africa region has made significant progress in recent years in improving the survival and health of women, new-borns, adolescents and youth.

She pointed out that it will be possible for governments to meet the global sustainable development goals (SDGs) with the right investments in a skilled health workforce.

According to her, maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in the region has been reduced by an average of 3.3% per year between 1990 and 2015, faster than the global 2.3%.

“In 2015, MMR in the region is estimated at 455 per 100 000 live births, a 50% reduction from the baseline MMR of 913 in 1990. However, most countries in the region will need to accelerate on this progress in order to meet national, regional and global sustainable development goals targets. The vast majority of maternal, new-born, and adolescent deaths are preventable, if women, adolescents and children are able to access skilled health workers who are adequately equipped,” she said.

According to her, most countries in the eastern and southern Africa region will need to accelerate on this progress in order to meet national, regional and SDGs targets.

Meanwhile, the report stated that many midwives and nurse-midwives particularly in Africa feel disrespected and undervalued in the workplace and or the community, which limits their ability to meet the needs of women, adolescents and babies.

“There is also evidence that midwives are not valued professionally due to the sociocultural feminisation of midwifery, which has led to under-investment in midwifery education, regulation and services.

This is despite the wealth of recent, high-quality evidence of the importance and effectiveness of midwives,” the report states.

JEMIMA BEUKES

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Namibian Sun 2025-02-05

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