Himalayan News Service

Lalitpur, April 7:

At a function held to mark the World Health Day today, the Ministry of Health (MoH) announced various medical measures to check the high rate of maternal and neonatal mortality. The World Health Day is celebrated on April 7, and this year’s theme is ‘Make every mother and child count’.

Acting director general at the Department of Health Services, Dr Mahendra Bahadur Bista, said MoH planned to increase delivery by skilled attendants at home and health facilities, increase access to 24-hour emergency obstetric and essential newborn care services, promote family planning services to prevent death from unwanted pregnancies and expand safe abortion services.

Coordinator of Safe Motherhood at the Family Health Division, Dr Ganga Shakya safe abortion services are available in 35 districts.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) also expressed its commitment to lend support towards achieving the government target of reducing the high maternal and child mortality rate through “sector wide approach”, according to Dr Adik Wibowo, WHO representative in Nepal.

Stating that one out of every 12 children does not reach his/her fifth birthday, Dr Wibowo said families and communities need to be aware of the risks of giving birth at home and need to seek skilled health attendants’ help.

The National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2001 reveals that 4,000 women die every year during pregnancy and at childbirth, 30,000

newborns die within 28 days of birth, which is third highest in the world. Neonatal deaths accounts for 60 per cent of infant deaths and maternal mortality rate is estimated at 539 per 100,000. According to NDHS, over 70 per cent pregnant women suffer from nutritional anaemia, fertility rate has declined in the past decade, teen marriages and pregnancies are also high — 50 per cent of girls aged between 15-19 years getting married, with 21 per cent of them already pregnant with their first child at the time.

The survey adds 67.4 per cent of deaths occur at home, 11.4 per cent on the way to a health facility, and 21.2 per cent at health institutions.

“The government is very serious about achieving the target of reducing maternal and neonatal mortality by 2017,” said Dr Bishnu Prasad Pandit, acting secretary at the MoH.

He said the MoH would work towards increasing the budget share from five per cent to nine by 2009 to expand safe motherhood programmes.