By KENNEDY MUPESENI –
SWEDISH Ambassador to Zambia Henrik Cederin has called for renewed focus to reduce maternal and child mortality rates in the country.
And the Government is putting in place measures to mitigate the impact of the gaps in the maternal and child mortality rates in Zambia.
Mr Cederin said the world was calling for a renewed focus on maternal and child mortality hence the need for the Zambian Government and its partners to take action and respond to the call.
“Zambia has made progress in reducing maternal mortality with the ratio decreasing from 726 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2002 to 398 per 100,000 live deaths in 2012.
“But despite this progress the country had not met the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target of 162 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2015,” he said.
Mr Cederin was speaking at the programme launch meeting on strengthening mentorship for skilled birth attendants and referral systems in Luapula, Northern and Muchinga provinces held at Government Complex in Lusaka Yesterday.
The programme was part of a Swedish Kronor to the Zambian Government through the Clinton Health Access Initiative to improve access to skilled birth attendants in rural areas of the country.
He was confident that by working together global maternal mortality ratios could be reduced to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.
Ministry of Health Permanent secretary Peter Mwaba said to ensure that maternal and neonatal mortality rates continue to decline, the government has put in place measures to mitigate the impact of the gaps.