24th January 2008, Lusaka -- The Ministry of Health in collaboration with other partners in maternal and child health launched the National Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health at a ceremony which was held at Chilenje urban clinic on Wednesday, 23rd January, 2008. The Honourable Minister of Health, Dr. Brian Chituwo officially launched the partnership. In his launch statement, Dr. Chituwo stated that the partnership has been formed to harmonise resources and galvanise interventions aimed at improving the health and survival of mothers, newborns and children. The partnership will also support actions to intensify and harmonize national progress towards the UN Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 which are targeted atreducing child deaths by two thirds and maternal deaths by three quarters respectively by 2015.

Zambia has a high maternal mortality ratio estimated to be 729 deaths per 100,000 live births, equally the child mortality ratio is unacceptably high at 168 deaths per 1,000 live births. Some of the greatest challenges the country is facing include low coverage of skilled attendance for deliveries, low uptake of antenatal services, low postnatal attendance, teenage pregnancies, HIV/AIDS, Malaria, inadequate information and education at community level, poor infrastructure, poor referral systems and the human resources crisisetc.

The WHO Representative Dr. Olusegun Babaniyi expressed great concern about the high maternal mortality ratios in the African Region countries, estimated by the World Health Organization to be as high as 1000 per 100,000 live births while newborn and child death rates also remain unacceptably high. He pledged the continued support of WHO in making the continuum of care a reality in order to bring women, newborns and children the health care they need through support for essential health and reproductive services for women through pregnancy, child birth and beyond and for the newborn into childhood and beyond.

The UNFPA Representative Mr. Deji Popoola called upon the Minister of Health to provide the necessary leadership to inspire all the partners to meet the challenge and pledged the support of UNFPA to actions targeted at making Safe Motherhood a reality such as improving the coverage of skilled attendance and, provision of emergency obstetric care. Maternal deaths could be averted if all women had access to interventions that address complications of pregnancy and child birth especially emergency obstetric care. The total package includes good nutrition, access to family planning, care in pregnancy and delivery.

The UNICEF Representative Ms Lotta Sylwander welcomed the partnership and emphasized the need to improve child health and survival by investing and delivering proven and affordable solutions to communities such as immunisation, Vitamin A supplementation the use of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) etc.

The partnership embraces relevant government ministries, the United Nations, the private sector, Non governmental organizations, Bilateral and Multilateral Donors, professional associations, academic institutions, research institutions etc. It will build upon existing initiatives such as Safe Motherhood, Making Pregnancy Safer supported by WHO and UNFPA, The child survival Initiative in UNICEF and Initiatives aimed at saving children in USAID. It will seek to increase access to existing health care solutions such as access to emergency obstetric care, care in pregnancy, delivery and during the post partum period, good nutrition, Tetanus toxoid immunizations, exclusive breastfeeding, access to family planning and referral services.

For More information contact :

Nora Mweemba, Health Information and Promotion Officer. 
GPN Number 37609, Mobile 0977873976,
WHO Country Office,
UN ANNEX BUILDING
Plot 4609, Corner of Andrew Mwenya and Beit Roads, Rhodes Park
P.O. Box 32346, Lusaka, Zambia.

E-mail: mweemban [at] zm.afro.who.int (mweemban[at]zm[dot]afro[dot]who[dot]int)

Tel No:00-260-1-255 398 / 255 336 / 255 322
Fax: 00-260-1-252863