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According to the recent study published in the Public Library of Science medical journal, it estimates that in Africa 85% of maternal, newborn and under-age-5 deaths could be prevented if African countries took good interventions to curtail maternal and infant mortality.

This means that each year about 4 million of African women, new borns and children could have their lives saved by such good interventions in maternal and child health if implemented by the governments and managed to reach at least 90% of the households in the continent.

The study also says such recommendable interventions would be things like a full package of health care that includes increasing ability to plan and space pregnancies, skilled birth attendance, access to emergency obstetric care, early and effective postnatal care, immunizations and treatment of Malaria, Pneumonia and Diarrhea.

In Africa about 4.5 million children below five years die annually, and 265, 000 maternal deaths occur every year. Over 12,000 children die in Africa die every day.

Having chosen a theme on child and maternal mortality, the African Union Summit, that is taking place in Kampala is expected to find a solution to a such a health challenge with all its glaring statistics.

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By Tiberindwa Zakaria