Source: Tanzania Daily News
Zanzibar — WHILE women face the risk of death during delivery, global efforts and individual countries have tried to minimize maternal mortality.
Despite the initiatives, many countries still have high number of maternal deaths attributed to lack of access to the necessary prenatal care and emergency medical assistance and ignorance.
The global efforts were placed into Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which include reducing by three-quarters the maternal mortality ratio in individual country by 2015.
All regions have made progress but accelerated interventions are required in order to meet the target. According to the WHO, the maternal mortality ratio in developing countries is still 15 times higher than in the developed regions.
However, more women are receiving antenatal care and in developing regions, antenatal care increased from 63 per cent in 1990 to 81 per cent in 2011. In recent years, this risk has been virtually eliminated for those who have access to the necessary prenatal care and emergency medical assistance.
Tanzania government and Zanzibar have been taking measures to address the plight of women. On different occasions this year, President Ali Mohammed Shein and authorities in the Ministry of Health said that Zanzibar has been on good track in meeting goal number four of the MDGs and that they are determined to control maternal mortality.
"We have managed to reduce malaria prevalence from 40 per cent to below one-per cent. We have also managed to cut down maternal mortality from 476 in 2006 to 221/100,000 live births last year (2013).
We thank development partners for support, "says President Shein He attributes the on-going achievement in health sector to government's improvement of health staff welfare to minimize brain-drain and increase budget allocation for the ministry of health.
Shein says: "Our strategies include training of health staff, so that we can have enough medical personnel in the near future. We have established a medical school, with support from Cuba."
Dr Mohammed Saleh Jidawi, Principal Secretary (PS)- Ministry of Health says that the achievement shows if the current efforts are upheld Zanzibar can reach Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) millennium targets that is 170/100,000 "due to reality that there are few community maternal death and most of home delivery with complication are rushed to the hospital."
Dr Jidawi mentioned major causes of maternal deaths in Zanzibar as Hypertensive disorder in pregnancy (Eclampisia) and Post-partum haemorrhage (PPH), followed by severe anaemia.
But despite the achievement women rights activists in Zanzibar want members of constituent assembly now in Dodoma to make sure that the next constitution contains clauses that will help mothers give safe births.
During workshops on 'sensitizing women to raise voices to demand their rights in the constitution making process,' activists said the new constitution should make sure that 'No Woman Die While Giving Life!'
"We pray that members of constituent assembly are keen to make sure that the new constitution protects women including measures reducing maternal mortality," said Ms Shifaa Ibuni, coordinating the project to sensitize women on the importance taking part in the constitution making process.
Ford Foundation has supported the project, which has been awakening women mainly in the rural villages.
After series workshops organized by the Tanzania Media Women Association (TAMWA) in Zanzibar, many women are now aware of their rights and eager to see that the government exhaust all the efforts to protect women.
In 2012, the Zanzibar Ministry of Health made a seemingly commendable move to address the maternal problems by scrapping fees on mothers going to give birth in public hospitals.
The scrapping was an order from President Ali Mohammed Shein, saying fee from pregnant mothers was a burden and discourages mothers to deliver in hospitals.
However, while women expressed happiness for maternal services, the implementation has been difficult because of insufficient funding in hospitals. Members of the Zanzibar House have in several occasions joined with health staffs to complain about inadequate funds.
Despite challenges in proving health care for women and children, women are reminding members of the constituent assembly particularly female MPs to make sure that before the new constitution is approved, there should be provision for the right to health and clearly acknowledges a right to reproductive healthcare services.
"Inclusion of such provisions in the new constitution will definitely be a major breakthrough for women; will be an example of the MPs and the state's obligations in respect to delivery of maternal healthcare services," said Mwajuma Hassan, one of the beneficiaries of the workshops.
She said that the current constitution has no sections that promotes the right to health will have any substantial impact on the reality that women face.
Activists want the government to increase resources to the necessary services, to develop and implement policies and to address social issues which prevent women from gaining access to maternal health care.
Like in many African developing countries, Zanzibar has not managed to allocate 15 per cent of its annual national budget to healthcare, as par the Abuja Declaration in 2000.