Uganda rallies to combat maternal deaths

A group of organisations in Uganda have vowed to improve the country's maternal mortality rates through the implementation of a new programme.

The Coalition to Stop Maternal Mortality in Uganda has cited funding issues regarding the provision and staffing of medical care as the reason for the lack of progress in reducing the problem.

Robinah Biteyi is a representative from the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood, one of 50 organisations to sign up to the initiative. 

He told the New Vision that the scheme must concentrate on diverting the appropriate funds towards healthcare, saying "most of the deaths are preventable and partly result from inadequate investment in emergency care". 

A recent report published by Population Secretariat indicated that 438 Ugandan mothers die per every 100,000 live births.

This is an increase of 137 compared to figures published by the World Health Organisation in 2006 and has the potential to threaten Millennium Development Goal 5, which aims to significantly reduce maternal deaths in developing countries by 2015.