Parliaments should seek partnerships and sustain the push to contain emerging challenges and demands facing Maternal and Child Health, legislators attending a Pan African Parliament (PAP) Women’s Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa have asserted.
In addition, legislators at the Conference on the Role of Parliamentarians in Promoting Maternal, New-Born and Child Health organized by the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) held on October 4-5, 2012 contend that it is paramount for them to review legislation on Child Marriage and support the ‘Urgent African Campaign’ to stop the practice forthwith. The move shall help contribute to realization of the important agenda of MDG 4 and 5 on Maternal and Child Health in the continent.
While addressing the conference, Rt. Hon Margaret Nantongo Zziwa, Speaker of EALA, pledged her Assembly’s support to the cause of ensuring better standards of living through enhanced oversight roles as well as in holding governments in the region accountable.
The Speaker further remarked that the Assembly would engage the legislative processes by bringing relevant Bills, Motions and Resolutions to the floor of the House. She noted that EALA had opened its doors for stakeholder collaboration but at the same time called for more efforts towards mobilizing populations in order to fully access existing initiatives.
“EALA has been working in collaboration with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) after the passing of the UN Resolution at the last IPU meeting in the pursuit of access to health as a basic right and in tandem with Parliaments’ roles in addressing key challenges in securing women and children’s health. We are in the process of improving Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) and we are working with the national Parliaments to fill the data gaps and to ensure more accountability,” the Rt. Hon Speaker added.
The Speaker however decried the challenges facing progress, saying access to information continued to be a challenge. “We have to admit that we sometimes fall with regards to our promised targets and we have to think about, understand and answer the questions with regard to improving maternal health and reducing child mortality”, she noted.
South Africa’s Minister for Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Hon Lulu Xingwana set the mood of the meeting with candid remarks made on her behalf by Ms. Mdjadji Seabi, the Deputy Director General, Women Empowerment and Gender Equality. The meeting was also addressed by the President of Pan African Parliament (PAP) H.E. Bethel Nnaemeka Amadi.
The conference was attended by Parliamentarians from the continent, representatives of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the UN agencies and government officials among others. Papers on the status of implementation of MDGs 4 and 5 on Mother Child Health and militating factors were made by the UNFPA, UNICEF and UNAIDS representatives. Participants also listened to resource persons who presented papers on regional and global developments on in MCH and the opportunities for Parliaments.
In East Africa, maternal mortality and morbidity remain a serious concern. The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) for the year 2010 was estimated at 410 per 100,000 live births in Kenya, 454 per 100,000 in the United Republic of Tanzania and 435 deaths per 100,000 for Uganda (as compared to 352 in 2008 showing an increase). Mortality statistics for Rwanda and Burundi were placed at 750 and 866 respectively per 100,000 births. It is estimated that for every woman who dies, 15 persons within the Community suffer.
The corresponding infant mortality for 2010 was estimated at 116 infants per 1000 for Burundi while United Republic of Tanzania recorded 51 deaths per 1000 infants. Uganda placed infant mortality at 76. Kenya witnessed 52 deaths while Rwanda had 72 deaths per 1000 respectively. Analysts have placed the weighted infant mortality average at 71 per 1000 terming the figures high.
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For more information, contact Bobi Odiko, Senior Public Relations Officer
East African Legislative Assembly, Tel: +255-27-2508240 Fax: +255-27-2503103, Cell: +255787-870945, +254-733-718036.
Email: BOdiko@eachq.org, Web: https://www.eala.org
