IPNews-Monrovia: Gbarpolu County Health Officer Musa Zwannah has expressed concern over the increase in the maternal death rate in Gbarma District, Gbarpolu County.
Making the disclosure recently, Mr. Zwannah said Gbarma District has topped the maternal death rate in districts in Gbarpolu County.
According to the County Health Officer, pregnant women die while in pain and about to give birth.
“Many pregnant women also die while making their way to health centers in Gbarma District to give birth,” Zwannah said.
He told the Liberia News Agency that other pregnant women die due to the bad condition of roads while making their way to health facilities.
The CHO revealed that over thirty pregnant women died in the district from January to December 2019 in child birth-related cases.
Meanwhile, Mr. Zwannah has attributed the increase in the maternal death rate in the district to the lack of a Maternal Waiting Home for pregnant women and has therefore stressed the need for the government to construct a Maternal Waiting Home in Gbarma District.
However, a recent survey conducted by the Liberia News Agency in Gbarpolu County showed that many pregnant women in the interior parts of the county die during child birth due to their refusal to go to health facilities for treatment during pregnancy.
IPNews was informed that with support from the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), the Ministry of Health has constructed several Maternal Waiting Homes in Gbarpolu County, but many pregnant women refuse to go there during labor because they prefer the services of native midwives.
According to the survey, many other pregnant women cannot access health facilities due to long distances and deplorable road conditions.
Research works of the WHO report, says Liberia has a high maternal death rate, estimated at 1,072 deaths of 100,000 live births. (LDHS 2013). The government has prioritized maternal and Newborn health in order to reverse this trend, which is among the highest on the African Continent. (courtesy of LINA)
