06 Sep 2023

The current national mortality ratio is putting the country at risk of missing the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of reducing mortality rate by 2030.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has targeted to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 deaths per 100 000 live births by the year 2030.

However, a Statistics Botswana Maternal Mortality Ratio report released this month indicates that for the year 2021, mortality ratio stood at 240, having increased from 130.5 from the previous year.

The report further indicates that from 2014 to 2021, the mortality rate fluctuated and the lowest ratio of 127 per 100 000 live births was recorded in 2015.

Still on the 2021 mortality, it says 60.9 per cent of the maternal deaths occurred in Gaborone and Francistown, with Gaborone leading at 34.4 per cent.

Also, the reports states that half of the deaths occurred in referral hospitals followed by district hospitals, primary hospitals and clinics. In terms of proportion of maternal deaths reported among age, the highest were reported among 35 year olds to 39, followed by 30 to 34 year olds, while only two cases of maternal deaths were recorded for ages above 45 years and no cases were reported in less than 15 years of age.

Maternal deaths were also reported to be lowest from January and were steadily increasing until July /August, where the first peak is observed thereafter decreasing, and second peak observed at the end of the year.

The report states that it has been realized that among the mothers dying due to specified maternal causes, there are some who were found to have been living positively with HIV/AIDS.

From the 130 maternal deaths reported in 2021, about 29.2 per cent were HIV infected women, 56.9 per cent HIV negative and 13.8 per cent with unknown status.

The report says over the years, HIV positive among the maternal deaths have been reducing.

In terms of institutional births versus non-institutional births, it says most births were in health facilities, whilst non-institutional constituted an insignificant number.

Adding that non-institutional births have been insignificant ever since Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs inaugurated the collection of births and deaths certificates.

Nonetheless, South East District reported the highest non-institutional births, followed by Greater Gaborone, Borolong and Francistown respectively. ENDS