17 March 2004, Ethiopia -- A high-level expert group set up by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the African Union (AU) is to meet in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 2 April to examine the high rates of maternal and newborn death in Africa and make recommendations to the AU on how to halt and reverse the trend.

This emerged during a meeting recently in Addis Ababa between the WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Ebrahim M. Samba and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mr. Alpha Oumar Konare.

Briefing Mr Konare on the state of maternal and newborn health in Africa, Dr. Samba stated that the maternal mortality ratio in the Region had risen from 870 deaths per 100, 000 live births in 1990 to 1,000 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2001. "This translates into the death of one African woman every minute or the equivalent of five 747-Jumbo jets crashing everyday killing all passengers and crew on board!", he said.

Dr Samba added that in many African countries, between 25% and 33% of all deaths of women of reproductive age were attributable to pregnancy-related causes.

On newborn mortality, Dr. Samba said, "Africa has the highest newborn mortality rate estimated at 45 deaths per 1,000 live births compared with 34 in Asia, 17 in Latin America and just five in developed countries. Given gross under-reporting and wide variations within countries, the figure for Africa could be much higher, he added.

Following the briefing by Dr. Samba, the AU Commission Chairperson acknowledged the gravity of the situation, saying that the issue would be addressed at a joint working group comprising experts from WHO and officials of the AU Commission on Social Affairs. "This is a problem that can no longer be ignored", Mr. Konare said.

Dr Samba used the occasion of the meeting to introduce Hon Gertrude Mongela, member of the Tanzanian Parliament and WHO's Goodwill Ambassador for Maternal and Newborn Health in the African Region.

Earlier, Dr. Samba had discussed the issue of maternal and newborn health in the Region with Ethiopian Minister of Health, Dr. Kebede Tadesse, who informed the Regional Director of the Ethiopian government's commitment to reducing maternal and newborn mortality in the country.

Dr Samba was accompanied by Hon. Mongela, the Director of the Division of Family and Reproductive Health at the WHO Regional Office for Africa, Dr. Doyin Oluwole, and the Acting WHO Representative in Ethiopia, Dr. Angela Benson.

For further information, please contact 
WHO Ethiopia Country Office: 
Dr. Abonesh Hailemariam, NPO, Family Health & population 
Tel: 44 54 12
email: aboneshh [at] whoet.org (aboneshh[at]whoet[dot]org) 
Ato Araya Demissie, NPO, Health Information &Promotion
Tel: 44 43 79
email: arayad [at] whoet.org (arayad[at]whoet[dot]org)