Dr Ahmadou Samateh, minister of Health said on Thursday The Gambia’s maternal mortality rate “is plummeting” despite protests by women groups expressing outrage at recent deaths of expectant mothers.

“It is important to note that in this country maternal mortality has been on the decline notwithstanding the perception of the rise in maternal mortality,” the Health minister told Parliament. 

“It is important to emphasise that it is actually on the decline based on what had been happening in the previous years.

“The figures below corroborate these findings: in 2013 according to the demographic health survey, there were 433 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. 

“Now when you go to 2014, it was 208 [deaths]; 2015, 250 [deaths] per 100,000 live births; 2016, 195 [deaths]; 2017, 236 [deaths]; 2018, 283 [deaths]; 2019, 221 [deaths] per 100,000 live births; and as we speak based on the figures already gathered up to September this year, it is a 169 [deaths] per 100,000 live births.”

The Health minister also shared with MPs the main causes of maternal mortality in The Gambia.

He said: “The main causes of maternal mortality in The Gambia are pregnancy induced hypertension (18%) haemorrhage (bleeding) (11%) anaemia (11%) sepsis (infection) (1%) and the remaining are due to other causes including indirect causes such as diabetes in pregnancy, heart failure etc.”

Reporting by Adama Makasuba