Deliver babies in health facilities, women told

 WOMEN in Sandaun have been urged to go to health facilities for delivery to reduce the high death rate of mothers and babies.

Dr Angela Seginame, an obstetrics and gynecology specialist, sounded the advice during the launching of the Baby Bundle of Joy initiative in West Sepik.

She said because of the low family planning rates, antenatal coverage rates and unsupervised delivery rate, the province had the highest maternal mortality rate in the country.

“We have the lowest antenatal coverage which is 17 per cent. The national coverage is 34 per cent which is still lower than the average,” she said.

“We have the lowest family planning coverage which is seven per cent – the national coverage is 24 per cent.

“We have the lowest delivery rate which is 17 per cent. That’s the reason we are launching the Baby Bundle of Joy initiative to attract women to deliver in the health facilities.”

The event also marked the first anniversary of the West Sepik Provincial Health Authority.

Authority board chairman Gerald Gubon said “our vision is to be among the top five performing provinces with improved health indicators in maternal, child health and communicable disease by 2020”.

The Baby Bundle of Joy initiative comprises gift packs given to mothers after they deliver at a health facility. The gift packs contain a six-pack nappy set, safety pins, baby powder, oil, shampoo, soap, blanket, towel, set of clothes, laplap, laundry soap for the mother, sanitary pads for the mother, mother’s laplap, a packet of biscuit, rice and tin fish, mosquito net and paint for the care of the baby’s umbilical cord. 

Seginame said some of the contributing factors for the poor indicators include gender inequality, poverty, low literacy rate among women, lack of skilled personnel with right attitude, knowledge and the failing health systems.