The First Lady of the Republic of Malawi, Madame Professor Gertrude Mutharika has bemoaned nutritional challenges which women in many countries across Africa face which affect their reproductive health status.
She was speaking in Lilongwe on Wednesday when she officially opened a two day Lugina Africa Midwives Research Network Conference (LAMRN).
Madame Mutharika said women are confronted with education related challenges and as such live with low levels of economic empowerment which leads to them having insufficient nutrition uptake.
Noting this trend, the First Lady assured delegates to the conference of her continued support towards eradicating nutritional challenges that women face in order to uplift their reproductive health status.
“As an active member of the African First Ladies Against HIV and Aids (OAFLA), I wish to assure you of my commitment towards lifting our women out of their numerous health challenges,” she said.
She, therefore, called upon all stakeholders to double their efforts in addressing the challenges and harness the gains currently being made.
Africa is coming from a past where maternal deaths were alarmingly high and barely 20 years ago, Malawi was among the countries with the highest maternal mortality rate (MMR) in the whole world.
Globally MMR fell by 44 percent from 385 deaths per 100, 000 live births in 1990 to 216 maternal deaths per 100, 000 live births in 2015
Developing countries accounted for 99 percent of the global maternal deaths in 2015 with Sub Saharan Africa alone accounting for 66 percent.
The First Lady said it was pleasing to note the reduction in MMR in many of the countries across Africa which means that efforts to improve the health welfare of women are not misplaced and not in vain.
Madame Mutharika applauded efforts by the Malawi government in reducing MMR and under five deaths.
“You may wish to know that Malawi was one of the few African countries that attained Millennium Development Goal (MDG) number four which was reducing deaths of children under five years by two thirds before the target.
“This was due to the high impact interventions implemented in the country,” she said.
Minister of Health, Atupele Muluzi applauded advocacy efforts by the Malawi First Lady which she has taken to raise cervical cancer awareness.
He said the awareness campaign has seen many women undertaking cervical cancer screening saying this will go a long way in addressing cervical cancer in the country.
The conference, which is being held under the theme Innovations for Reproductive Health has brought together midwifery researchers, teachers and practitioners from six member countries of Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
LAMRN is a network dedicated to improving maternal health outcomes in Africa through increasing evidence based practice in midwifery.
It supports reproductive health and midwifery research, information sharing, networking and training in East, Central and Southern Africa.Mana