maternal mortality report by UNICEF

Civil Society Organizations operating in Africa have pledged to petition the African Union to promise that its various member countries will commit themselves to fighting reducing maternal health and not just talk about maternal health during this year’s summit that is taking place in Kampala and with a theme on maternal and child health.

The issue of maternal and child health has lately become a concern of the civil society more especially on the African continent given that 99%  of the women that die during birth are developing countries most of which are in Africa.

The Program Manager of the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition, Dr. Bactrin Killingo has told journalists at Hotel Africana that various civil society organizations are working on the final touches of the petition that they will present to meeting of the Heads of State at the AU summit such that AU can force its member countries to adopt policies in their countries that curtail maternal and child mortality.

Dr. Bactrin Killingo

Killingo says though the AU may shelve their petition or member countries may refuse to seriously implement the suggested policies on maternal health in the petition, at least the AU member countries should promise commitment to the policies to improve maternal and child heath.

He says the civil societies will follow up the commitments to the proposed policies in the petition back in the countries where they are based to ensure that African countries become more serious on the issue of maternal mortality.

The African Union summit is being held in Kampala Uganda with a focus on achieving maternal health targets. The heads of state are expected to hold their meetings from 25-27 July 2010, although the other delegates of the African summit have been meeting since July 19, 2010.

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By Tiberindwa Zakaria, Ultimate Media