Health minister Dr Ahmadou Lamin Samateh has told MPs maternal mortality is on the decline in the country contrary to perception it’s rising.
Gambians have in recent days expressed concern about the number of women that are dying while pregnant or trying to give birth. Scores marched on Wednesday to call for more action against maternal mortality with another march billed for Friday.
But speaking to MPs on Thursday, health minister Dr Ahmadou Samateh said maternal mortality was slowing in the country as he shared data.
He said: “It is important to note that in this country maternal mortality has been on the decline notwithstanding the perception of the rise in maternal mortality. It is important to emphasize that it is actually on the decline based on what had been happening in the previous years.
“The figures below corroborate these findings: in 2013 according to the demographic health survey, there were 433 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Now when you go to 2014, it was 208 [death]; 2015, 250 [deaths] per 100,000 live births; 2016, 195 [deaths]; 2017, 236 [deaths]; 2018, 283 [deaths]; 2019, 221 [deaths] per 100,000 live births; and as we speak based on the figures already gathered up to September this year, it is a 169 [deaths] per 100,000 live births.”
The health minister also shared with MPs the main causes of maternal mortality in The Gambia.
He said: “The main causes of maternal mortality in The Gambia are pregnancy induced hypertension (18pc) hemorrhage that’s bleeding (11pc) anemia (11pc) sepsis that’s infection (1pc) and the remaining are due to other causes including indirect causes such as diabetes in pregnancy, heart failure etc.”
