Federal Health begins approving updated protocols to address the leading causes of maternal mortality

The Citizen/

The Federal Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has initiated the procedures for approving updated protocols to address the main causes of maternal mortality through a two-day consultative workshop that kicked off today in Kassala city, with the participation of technical authorities and partners.

During the opening session, the Director of the General Administration of Basic Health Care, Dr. Dalia Idris Hassan, stressed the importance of updating protocols to keep pace with developments at the local and global levels, noting that “many maternal deaths can be prevented by avoiding their causes and applying effective interventions.”

Dr. Dalia gave a presentation on the current situation of maternal mortality, revealing a significant decline in funding for the maternal mortality reduction project, through which clean birth aids, midwives’ bags, delivery rooms were equipped, and others, and presented the current status of maternal mortality tracking system, through which nearly a thousand deaths were monitored in 2024 and 86% of them were investigated, and she appealed to all partners to support the strengthening of the system.

The maternal mortality rate remains high, especially under the current conditions and 50% of those deaths are due to poor quality of health care. She also pointed out that more than 13,000 midwives have been trained through the project to expand basic health care services, many of whom have not yet been absorbed into fixed government jobs.

For his part, the Acting Director of the General Department of Basic Health Care, Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Abdullah, praised the role of organizations supporting maternal and child health, noting that the year 2024 witnessed the completion of updating protocols, which now require activation and implementation on the ground to improve the quality of health services.