SA's high child mortality avoidable

Over 40 000 deaths of SA babies and children could be prevented every year - Minister

A report, 'Every Death Counts', produced by the Health Department, the Medical Research Council and the University of Pretoria, shows that over 40 000 deaths of South African babies and children every year could be prevented if the country's health services were improved. This shocking report was released by Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang in Johannesburg yesterday.

The report reveals that at least 20 000 babies are stillborn from complications in pregnancy and childbirth. Some of the reasons for the increasing child mortality rate are inadequate health facilities, inadequate care given by health workers and the lack of transport to health facilities.

Senior policy and research adviser and co-author of the report, Dr Joy Lawn, says it is shocking that an estimated 1 600 women die annually because of complications during pregnancy and child birth. Lawn says proper monitoring during labour could prevent many of these deaths.

According to the report South Africa is not making progress towards the child survival Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Developing countries are expected to meet the MDG goal of reducing child mortality by two thirds between 1990 and 2015. - edited by Margaret Maluleka