President Adama Barrow has told Gambians on Thursday his administration is committed to reducing maternal deaths during births and pregnancies, as well as under-5 mortality. 

Macro-trend 2017 survey shows at least 597 women died either whilst giving births or during pregnancies. 

“On maternal and child health services, my government is committed to the reduction of under-five and maternal mortality. In the interim, significant gains have been registered recently for both infant mortality and under-five mortality. Equally, deliveries conducted by skilled birth attendants in health facilities have increased,” Mr Barrow said in his State of the Nation address.

The president added that his administration “is determined to provide free immunisation services to all children in the country. As evidence, this year, my government contributed Thirty-Two Million Dalasis (D32,000,000. 00) towards immunisation services.

“The Gambia is one of the few countries in Africa that have successfully piloted the use of the HPV vaccine. The vaccine reduces the risk factors of girls and women from contracting HPV, which has a strong link with the deadly cervical cancer.

The maternal mortality is the annual number of female deaths per 100,000 live births from any cause related to or aggravated by pregnancy or its management -excluding accidental or incidental causes.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba