Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Zambia’s maternal mortality rate has dropped from 591 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births to 398 deaths per 100,000 live births, while the infant mortality rate has also dropped to 40 percent from 70 percent in 2007.
Speaking during the dissemination of preliminary results for the 2013/2014 Zambia Demographic and Health survey (ZDHS), Health Minister Dr. Joseph Kasonde says maternal mortality should be seen as a broader indicator to the attainment of national development.
Dr. Kasonde says the progress made in maternal mortality is as a result of the functioning health care system, adding that government is still striving to further improve the health sector.
He states that a functioning health care system should be talking about what is being done about human resource, drugs and medical supplies, health information system and health care financing.
Dr. Kasonde notes that it is true that human resource is a vital component of a functioning health system and thus government has made an effort to invest in a much more increased output of health workers.
He states that the ZDHS results are useful for the overall monitoring and evaluation of the heath sector performance, adding that the results will help the country move from data to action.
And United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative Dr. Mary Otieno says the results of the 2013/2014 ZDHS being a gold standard for development planning, will equally enable cross country comparisons and analysis of trends within the SADC region as well as with other lower middle income countries.
She adds the 2013/2014 Zambia Demographic Health Survey will serve as a benchmark for the country’s progress towards the achievement of health Millennium Development Goals in 2015.