THERE is a need to maintain gains recorded in reducing unsafe abortions and maternal deaths by working together, the Zambia Association of Gynecologists and Obstetricians (ZAGO) has said.
ZAGO president Swebby Macha said maintaining the gains made in reducing unsafe abortions and maternal deaths remained a goal to ensure more positive results were achieved especially in rural areas.
Last year, Zambia recorded reduced cases of unsafe abortions and maternal deaths, a situation that alerted stakeholders.
Mr. Macha told The Scoop that despite a reduction of 60 percent maternal mortality, current statistics are still unacceptable with 278 per 100,000 per year.
Dr. Macha said the target is to reduce the figures to less than 70 per 100,000 maternal deaths by the year 2030.
He said that the overall target is to reduce maternal deaths to at least one digit and that more sensitization had to be continued to ensure expectant mothers start their antenatal visits on time.
“As ZAGO is confident that the implementation of our strategic plan will contribute towards increasing access to integrated reproductive health and family planning services and thereby, help reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. We also believe that this plan will contribute towards prevention and treatment of other health challenges that our women and adolescent girls face such as the emerging conditions of NCDs and gynecological cancer,” Dr. Macha said.
“We shall continue sharing and enhancing professional evidence-based views and experiences on how best Zambia can attain zero maternal death. Collaborations are key to ensuring that no woman should lose life while giving birth,” he added.
He said that Serious complications and death from unsafe abortions are almost entirely avoidable hence the need not to relent as a country towards discouraging such practices.
He emphasized that more efforts should be well targeted at adolescents, uneducated rural women to ensure access to safe abortion, contraception and sensitization on abortion law should be promoted.