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Andile Tshuma, Chronicle Reporter

ZIMBABWE’S maternal mortality rate has dropped by 29 percent to 462 per 100 000 live births from the previous 614 per 100 000 live births recorded in 2014, according to the latest Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2019.

The survey is conducted every five years. 

The maternal mortality rate has been on a downward trajectory in the country for the past decade as the latest statistics follow a 36 percent drop between 2009 and 2014. 

In an interview yesterday, the director of Family health in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Bernard Madzima said while great strides have been made to reduce the maternal mortality rate to 462, it was still a far cry from the targeted 100 deaths per 100 000 lives births accepted as low by the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund. 

He said efforts by the ministry to improve health services across the country had helped reduce the maternal mortality rate. 

“We have ensured availability of life saving commodities. Blood is now available free of charge for everyone, and in this particular case for expectant mothers. We have also ensured availability of drugs such as Oxytocin and Magnesium. 

“We continue to strive to improve maternal and overall health services but we are still far from our target. We improved from 614 deaths per 100 000 live births to 462 deaths per 100 000 live births but the  target remains 100 deaths per 100 000 livse births, ” he said. 

President Mnangagwa recently bemoaned the high maternal mortality rate in the country and called for investment in strengthening the skills of midwives and doctors as well as the supply of essential medical equipment to avert such deaths.

He warned those involved in child marriages saying offenders risked incarceration.

“We remain concerned with the high maternal mortality in Zimbabwe and as Government we take note of this and we are committed to ensuring safe motherhood through a number of ways including investing in strengthening the skills of midwives and doctors, the supply of essential medical equipment to avert such deaths,” he said.

According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFP), more than 2 400 pregnant women die in Zimbabwe annually due to over bleeding, abortion and poverty. 

The World Health Organisation defines maternal mortality as the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.

The United Nations considers a maternal mortality ratio of less than 100 as low, between 100 and 299 as moderately low, and high when it is between 300 to 499. — @andile_tshuma