By: Fatou Krubally
The Minister of Health, Dr. Amadou Samateh, has acknowledged an error in the presentation of maternal mortality statistics to the National Assembly, attributing the discrepancy to a mistake in data retrieval from the Ministry of Health’s information system.
Dr. Samateh made the disclosure on Wednesday while responding to an oral question from Banjul Central National Assembly Member (NAM) Abdoulie Njai, who sought clarification on maternal mortality figures for 2025.
The minister told lawmakers that the correct maternal mortality ratio for 2025 stands at 161.1 deaths per 100,000 live births, while the institutional maternal mortality ratio is 128.8 deaths per 100,000 live births.
He explained that the figures were generated from the Ministry’s District Health Information System (DHIS2), a digital platform used for health data collection and analysis.
According to him, the error occurred when an official used the institutional maternal mortality variable instead of the total maternal mortality variable during data extraction.
Dr. Samateh said while the underlying data were correct, the mistake affected the reported ratio, adding that the discrepancy was subsequently identified and formally communicated to the National Assembly.
He informed lawmakers that the officer responsible for the error, along with members of the reporting team, had been reprimanded.
The minister said the ministry has since strengthened internal verification procedures and that he personally reviewed the figures prior to their re-submission to parliament.
He emphasised that accurate maternal health data is essential for planning and monitoring interventions aimed at reducing maternal deaths.
Dr. Samateh also noted that all maternal deaths are reviewed by the ministry’s reproductive and maternal health team to determine causes and guide corrective action.
He added that continued investment in health infrastructure, personnel and emergency services remains key to improving maternal health outcomes in The Gambia.
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