Uganda child and maternal mortality rate still high â€" UNICEF
Apr 06, 2010
UGANDA is one of the countries with the highest child mortality rates in the world, according to the latest Unicef report.
By Conan Businge
UGANDA is one of the countries with the highest child mortality rates in the world, according to the latest Unicef report.
According to the 2009 State of the World’s Children report, Uganda holds the 21st last slot out of 189 countries.
There is an under-five mortality rate of 130 out of 1,000 births in Uganda, according to the report which uses the 2007 estimates.
Under-five mortality rate is the probability a newborn baby will die before reaching the age of five. This is an internationally used indicator children’s well-being.
Maternal mortality also remains high in Uganda at 550 per 100,000 live births.
Women die as a result of infection and haemorrhage. Some have obstructed labour and cannot get a caesarean section.
To reduce child and maternal mortality in the country, the Government and other non-government organisations plan to launch a campaign code named ‘EVERYONE’.
The campaign will be launched by the First Lady and Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Janet Museveni, on May 5, at Namboole stadium.
This was disclosed at a workshop organised by Save the Children. The organisation’s director, Luc Vanhoorickx, was flanked by Liliane Luwaga of the health ministry, Twebese Mugisha of UNFPA and Calvin Armstrong of Save the Children.
The report ranked Sierra Leone the worst country, with an under-five mortality of 262. It is followed by Afghanistan with 257 and Chad with 209. In the East African Community, Kenya is at position 121, Tanzania at 161 and Rwanda 181.
Women in the world’s least developed countries are 300 times more likely to die during child birth, than those in developed countries, says the UN report.
UGANDA is one of the countries with the highest child mortality rates in the world, according to the latest Unicef report.
According to the 2009 State of the World’s Children report, Uganda holds the 21st last slot out of 189 countries.
There is an under-five mortality rate of 130 out of 1,000 births in Uganda, according to the report which uses the 2007 estimates.
Under-five mortality rate is the probability a newborn baby will die before reaching the age of five. This is an internationally used indicator children’s well-being.
Maternal mortality also remains high in Uganda at 550 per 100,000 live births.
Women die as a result of infection and haemorrhage. Some have obstructed labour and cannot get a caesarean section.
To reduce child and maternal mortality in the country, the Government and other non-government organisations plan to launch a campaign code named ‘EVERYONE’.
The campaign will be launched by the First Lady and Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Janet Museveni, on May 5, at Namboole stadium.
This was disclosed at a workshop organised by Save the Children. The organisation’s director, Luc Vanhoorickx, was flanked by Liliane Luwaga of the health ministry, Twebese Mugisha of UNFPA and Calvin Armstrong of Save the Children.
The report ranked Sierra Leone the worst country, with an under-five mortality of 262. It is followed by Afghanistan with 257 and Chad with 209. In the East African Community, Kenya is at position 121, Tanzania at 161 and Rwanda 181.
Women in the world’s least developed countries are 300 times more likely to die during child birth, than those in developed countries, says the UN report.