Dozens of pregnant women have joined the Gambian Women’s Lives Matter protest to express their concerns about the rise in maternal mortality rate in the country. 

Scores of Gambians including men and women dressed in white T-shirts bearing the slogans “no woman should die in labour” and “Ministry of Health protect us” marched on Wednesday from the busy Westfield roundabout to Alliance Franco chanting Women’s Lives Matter.

The protesters also chanted “let’s make sure today be a turning point for this country, let’s make sure today be a turning point for our women.”

Sanna Marong, one of the organisers of the protest described the rise in death of women during child birth as a “sad situation” adding “there is a woman who gave birth to a set of twins at Bakau but she died due to low blood pressure.”

Mr Marong said the protest was not for women only but as well as men should play a key role in stopping what he called the “terrific situation in the healthcare sector”.

Another organiser, Ramatoulie Loabe said: “the rate of maternal death is getting high compared to previous years, I understands that it is Allah who takes life, but sometimes doctors can be cruel. It is the responsibility of the doctors to advice the women about the things needed during pregnancy.”

She added: “We are eager to know the reason why the maternity death of women is high. I’m pleading with the Gambian Government and the Ministry of Health to work hand in hand to put a stop to this problem.” 

She said the worsening situation is either due to lack of drugs or the doctors “are the ones who are not performing their responsibility as expected.”

Kebba Njie, another protester, said government should “wake up and provide people’s need”. 

He said the country’s health system is very poor and he feared that “if care is not taken this will continue to occur and that will be disastrous”.

Reports revealed at least 15 young women died during delivery in the last two weeks. 

The Women’s Lives Matter campaign has been trending on social media as tens of thousands of Gambians took to Facebook and Twitter to express their outrage about the high maternal mortality rate under the Barrow-led administration. 

Reporting by Adama Makasuba