By: Nyima Sillah
Following the recent research by the Gambia Health Management Information System (HMIS), the Gambia maternal death has reduced to one hundred and fifteen (115) absolute figures from January-November 2021.
The Health Management Information System, Program Manager, Abdoulie Bah, said: the final report for the year 2021 maternal death will be revealed by mid of January 2022 which will include both the ratio and the absolute figures of the whole year (2021) maternal death.
“As of now the management has revealed 115 because that is the absolute figure we have after conducting research from January to November. But we will reveal the annual report by mid of January,” he said.
Health Expert, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Dr Musa Marena at Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH), said maternal death is basically a woman who is pregnant dies or dies within 42days of losing the pregnancy or delivering. He explained that this death has to be as a result of pregnancy, or its complications or the treatments that the woman received during pregnancy or after pregnancy. If the woman dies from accident or incidental causes then it is categories as maternal death.
“There are types we call direct maternal death or indirect maternal death, the direct ones are the results of pregnancy complications and the treatment. The indirect ones are as the results of the woman already having a problem before pregnancy or she dies as results of aggravations problems during pregnancy like malaria, anaemia, high blood pressure and diabetes,” Marena explained.
Speaking further, Dr Marena highlighted on seven ways to mitigate maternal death this includes, educating women, women empowerment, proper nutrition, make sure men are involve, provision of family planning, appropriate antenatal care and also provide them with emergency services.
More so, if the seven issues are solved, it would reduce 60 – 70% of maternal death in the country.
“Almost all the women that we record as maternal death most of the problems are facing these seven things I have highlighted and if you look at these seven issues, five of them are in the community only two are hospital issues which is the antenatal and the emergency care,” he noted.
However, Yadi Njie Eribo, a gender activist disclosed that women constitute over 50% of the population one woman dying giving life is too much, as there no woman should lose her life whilst giving life.
To her to solve this issue she said “we need state-of-the-art hospitals that can run tests and ready to address any emergency that might arise.”
She also said the government of the Gambia should improve the system, care and provide better hospitals with equipment and labs, as better facilities could help in the mitigation of maternal death.
The Gender Activist also advice women to seek medical care as soon as they find out they are expecting and eat proper balanced diet, while urging nurses to always be compassionate.
