28th FEBRUARY, 2025
SOUTHERN SUN HOTEL, RIDGEWAY, LUSAKA
THE PERMANENT SECRETARY – MINISTRY OF HEALTH
DIRECTORS – MINISTRY OF HEALTH
ZAGO PRESIDENT
ZAGO COUNCIL
SENIOR MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENTS: UTH & WOMEN AND NEWBORN HOSPITAL
SENIOR CONSULTANTS
ZAGO MEMBERS
REPRESENTATIVES OF PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES
INVITED GUESTS
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
IT IS WITH GREAT HONOUR TO BE INVITED TO THIS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) AND SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS OF THE ZAMBIA ASSOCIATION OF GYNAECOLOGISTS AND OBSTETRICIANS (ZAGO) WHOSE THEME IS “ADVANCING CLINICAL INNOVATIONS AND RESEARCH TO IMPROVE MATERNAL AND NEWBORN SURVIVAL’. THIS THEME SUPPORTS INNOVATIONS AND EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE THAT AIMS TO REDUCE MATERNAL AND NEONATAL DEATHS IN ZAMBIA TO LESS THAN 70/100,000 AND 10/1000 BY 2030 RESPECTIVELY.
ALTHOUGH, CURRENT EVIDENCE SHOWS A REDUCTION OF MATERNAL DEATHS OF 70% OVER A 20 YEARS PERIOD FROM 2002 (ZDHS 2001/2002): 729/100,000 TO 195/100,000-(2024 ZDHS), THIS FIGURE STILL REMAINS UNACCEPTABLY HIGH. RECENT EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT 90% OF ALL MATERNAL DEATHS OCCUR IN HEALTH FACILITIES – MEANING THAT KEY INTERVENTIONS ARE WITHIN OUR CONTROL. REGARDING NEONATAL MORTALITY, WE HAVE SEEN A DECLINE IN NEONATAL MORTALITY FROM 27/1000 LIVE BIRTHS (2018 ZDHS) TO 17/1000 LIVE BIRTHS (2024 ZDHS) – ALL THANKS TO NEWER INNOVATIONS IN HELPING NEWBORNS SURVIVE.
THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH, IN LINE WITH THE 2022-2026 NATIONAL HEALTH STRATEGIC PLAN FOCUSES ON EMERGENCY OBSTETRICAL AND NEONATAL CARE (EMONC), STRENGTHEN MATERNAL AND NEONATAL REFERRAL SYSTEM, SCALING UP MATERNAL AND PERINATAL DEATH SURVEILLANCE AND RESPONSE (MPDSR), ROLL OUT THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO) ANTENATAL CARE RECOMMENDATIONS, ELIMINATION OF MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION (EMTCT), FAMILY PLANNING WITH EMPHASIS ON LONG ACTING REVERSIBLE METHODS, AS WELL AS SCREEN FOR CERVICAL CANCER AND PROVIDING SKILLED ATTENDANT AT BIRTH.
REGARDING EMONC, MY MINISTRY’S EMPHASIS IS ON-SITE TARGETED MENTORSHIP IN LIFE SAVING SKILLS, SETTING-UP TRIAGE SYSTEM, HIGH DEPENDENT UNITS (HDUS) AT ALL 1ST, 2ND AND 3RD LEVEL HOSPITALS, LABOUR WARD DRILLS AND CLOSE MONITORING OF POSTNATAL PATIENTS IN THE FIRST 24 HOURS. WE ALSO EXPECT YOU TO HELP SET UP OBSTETRICS INTENSIVE CARE UNITS IN OTHER TEACHING HOSPITALS APART FROM THE UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITALS, WOMEN & NEW BORN HOSPITAL IN ORDER TO MANAGE CRITICAL CASES.
MY MINISTRY APPRECIATES THE LEADERSHIP ROLE BY ZAGO IN THE NATIONAL MPDSR TEAM WHOSE FUNCTION AMONG OTHERS IS TO CRITICALLY ANALYSE MATERNAL AND PERINATAL DEATHS AND OFFER SOLUTIONS TO HALT MATERNAL AND PERINATAL DEATHS. I URGE YOU TO GO FURTHER BY IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS YOU MAKE DURING THE MATERNAL AND PERINATAL REVIEWS.
IT IS WORTH STRESSING THAT MY GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE CHALLENGES FACED TO PROVIDE QUALITY OBSTETRIC, AND NEONATAL CARE SUCH AS DILAPIDATED INFRASTRUCTURE, SHORTAGE OF HEALTH WORKERS, DRUGS AND EQUIPMENT AND POOR ROAD NETWORKS, WHICH OF COURSE CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE TO MATERNAL AND NEWBORN DEATHS AND I KNOW THAT WITH DETERMINED EFFORTS, THIS PICTURE WILL CHANGE SOON.
THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH ORGANISATIONS LIKE YOU, ZAGO, UN AGENCIES, EUROPEAN UNION, USAID, EMBASSIES, PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, AMONG OTHER STAKEHOLDERS – MY MINISTRY IS DETERMINED TO IMPROVE AND STRENGTHEN ACCESS TO COST-EFFECTIVE QUALITY AND ESSENTIAL MATERNAL AND NEONATAL HEALTHCARE SERVICES AS CLOSE TO THE FAMILY AS POSSIBLE. THROUGH THESE PARTNERSHIPS, WE WILL ALSO STRENGTHEN EDUCATION AND CLINICAL TRAINING FOR OUR NURSES, MIDWIVES AND DOCTORS WHICH ULTIMATELY WILL LEAD TO A VERY COMPETENT AND SKILLED WORKFORCE.
GOING FORWARD, THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH EXPECTS ZAGO TO CONTINUE PROVIDING LEADERSHIP IN TACKLING MATERNAL AND PERINATAL MORTALITY AND ALSO TO TAKE THE LEAD IN OFFERING COUNTRYWIDE ON-SITE MENTORSHIP IN EMONC TO THE RECENTLY EMPLOYED HEALTH WORKERS. WE EXPECT YOU NOT TO RELAX BUT INSTEAD ESCALATE INTERVENTIONS THAT WILL LEAD TO FURTHER REDUCTION IN MATERNAL AND PERINATAL MORTALITY.
I WISH YOU WELL AS YOU DELIBERATE ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT THEME AND URGE YOU TO CONTINUE PROVIDING ESSENTIAL MATERNAL & NEWBORN SERVICES. I ALSO URGE YOU TO REACH OUT TO ALL STAKEHOLDERS IN ORDER TO HALT PREVENTABLE MATERNAL AND PERINATAL DEATHS. I REITERATE MY MINISTRY’S SUPPORT TOWARDS REDUCING MATERNAL DEATHS TO LESS THAN 70/100,000 AND NEONATAL DEATHS TO LESS THAN 10/1000 LIVE BIRTHS BY 2030.
I THANK YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Leave A Comment