Initiative to reduce maternal, newborn deaths aunched

Bureau report

PESHAWAR: The Directorate General Health Services (DGHS) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday launched the newborn survival strategy to help the Health Department mobilise resources to decrease maternal and newborn deaths.

Director General Health Services KP Dr Arshad Ahmed, Special Health Secretary Syed Farooq Jamil, Director Curative Section Dr Abbas Khan and other doctors and UNICEF Pakistan officials were present on the occasion.

Curative section of DGHS KP has organised the ceremony in collaboration with UNICEF Pakistan. Arshad Ahmed said that the Health Department was looking for keen partnership with UNICEF in order to deal with newborn mortality ratio.

Other speakers the new strategy would help mobilise resources and brig down maternal, newborn and infant deaths.

They said that Health Department would be responsible for the overall technical support, guidance and advice to implementation the plan.

Reports stated that like other provinces, KP was also faced with a high incidence of preventable deaths of mothers, infants and children. Maternal deaths account for 27 percent of mortality among women of reproductive age.

In 2012 the maternal mortality rate improved and was estimated at 206 per 100,000 births, neonatal mortality rate of 41 per 1,000 births, the infant mortality ratio was 58 per 1,000 births and under five years mortality ratio was 70 per 1,000 births.

These rates translate into an annual death toll of nearly 1700 women, 47,400 infants, primarily due to conditions that could easily be prevented with basic healthcare. Maternal and child morbidity account for the highest disease burden in KP.

At present in the province only 60.5 per cent of women receive antenatal care from a skilled provider, 40.5 per cent deliveries carried out in a health facility, 48.3 per cent were assisted in delivery by a skilled provider and only 39.3 per cent received services.