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| Africa: Horn |
| SUDAN: Maternal mortality among the highest in the world |
| 2004-12-11 |
| The high number of women dying in Sudan from causes linked to pregnancy, childbirth and low prevalence of natal care is of serious concern, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said on Thursday during its annual country programme review in Khartoum. "With the current gap in primary health facilities and the overall number of people affected by the emergency, the situation requires additional efforts to meet the current needs," Nimal Hettiaratchy, UNFPA representative for Sudan, said in a press statement. The remarks were made during the annual review of the 2002-2006 country programme of the government of Sudan and UNFPA, which focuses on reproductive health, population and development strategies, and awareness on various population issues. "UNFPA's main goal is the attainment of Millennium Development Goal No. 5 - the reduction of maternal mortality by 75 percent by 2015," Hettiaratchy told the meeting. "In the Sudanese context, this means that the maternal-mortality ratios have to fall down to 178 per 100,000 live births, from the current nationwide average of 509 per 100,000 live births - still one of the highest in the world," the UNFPA official continued. |
| Posted by:Fred |