MoPH intensifies its fight to reduce maternal mortality rate

Oct 03, 2018 News

The Ministry of Public Health has amplified its efforts in reducing maternal deaths nationwide. MOPH has recently collaborated with the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), World Health Organization (WHO) and the Church of the Latter Day Saints (LDS), on a four-day training programme that sought to highlight the main causes of maternal deaths within the medical fraternity.

Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence (2nd left) and LDS officials.

In order to assess the overall health of a country, one must actively take into consideration the number of maternal deaths as well as the infant mortality rate. These statistics once factored in are key indicators to how effective a country’s health sector is.
Despite the strides that have been made within Guyana’s health sector, the country has somehow managed to continuously experience one of the highest maternal mortality rates within Latin America and the Caribbean.
International statistics place Guyana’s mortality rate at 229 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, a staggering number for a country with such a small populace. This figure, which has given rise to much concern within the health sector, has caused organizations such as PAHO/WHO to collaborate with the Ministry in efforts to combat this issue.
According to reports from UNICEF, the cause for maternal deaths is listed in two categories- direct obstetric and indirect obstetric.
Direct obstetric refers to difficulties, or abnormalities at delivery whilst indirect obstetrics has to do with complications during pregnancy due to ailments. UNICEF sees a lack of sustainable sources of financing in the sector as a major contributing factor to these statistics.
Medical personnel within the health fraternity were privileged to be a part of the ministry’s collaboration in its training programme. The event, which attracted doctors, midwives and nurses, commenced on September 17, last, and concluded on September 20 at the Demerara building of The Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Dr. Onika Scott of MoPH led the training with topics that encompassed care for women during and after pregnancy. She reemphasized the need for the health fraternity to focus on the survival of mothers bleeding after birth as well as the issue of preeclampsia/eclampsia; an issue that often poses a threat to many new mothers.
This training marked the fifth time Latter-Day Saints Charities came to Guyana since 2005. It supports the MoPH’s Maternal and Child Health Unit Project, its goal is “To ensure that women, children and family members obtain maximum health care that is necessary for their growth and development.”
The four-day programme was done by a team from LDS Charities consisting of Dr. Lori Lindsay; Obstetrician/Gynecologist from Alaska, Dr. Steve Kammeyer; retired Obstetrician / Gynecologist from Utah; Ms. Adele Kammeyer; retired Labor and Delivery Nurse from Utah, Dr. Lloyd Jensen; Professor of Pediatrics, University of Nevada Las Vegas, and the Teams’ Leader Chantel Jensen- Project Administrator.
This venture seeks to ensure that the health care system is able to provide optimum care to women, children and families.

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