LILONGWE - The Muslim community in Malawi has taken up an initiative to champion safe motherhood, in an effort to reduce escalating deaths of women at child birth in the Southern African nation, which has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world.
"As women and mothers of Malawi, we feel concerned and touched with the rate this country is losing women while giving birth. It is for this reason that we have been compelled to take up this initiative in our desperate attempt to remedy the situation," Fatima Ndaila, National Chairperson of Muslim Women Organization (MWO), told OnIslam.net.
"We are sensitizing traditional leaders to help break some cultural and traditional beliefs which are also contributing to the rise in maternal mortality rates in the country. At the same time, we are encouraging both Muslim and non-Muslim women to at all cost access modern health facilities for delivery."
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Ndaila said the statistics of women dying due to pregnancy and child birth related complications were "so alarming", attributing this to lack of well equipped personnel and advanced facilities within reach.
"Most of the population lives in the remote areas where access to quality maternal health care services requires travelling long distances. Most women are discouraged, choosing to give birth at home without the benefits of modern medicine. As a result, Malawi suffers from one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world," said Ndaila.
"As part of this initiative, we are also reaching out to authorities to possibly make sure that advanced maternal services are made available within easy reach, so that women shouldn't travel long distances to access them."
Malawi, which according to the World Bank is one of the poorest countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa with its majority poor struggling to survive on less than US$1 a day, is performing poorly on maternal health issues.
The country has the worst maternal mortality rate any non-conflict country in the world. Malawi records about 460 deaths per 100,000 live births, and 3000 women die due to pregnancy and child birth each year. 29 per cent of maternal deaths are HIV and AIDS related.
Commended
The government of Malawi has commended the initiative describing it as a "potential solution to a national challenge."
"This initiative is a step in the right direction and a potential solution to a national challenge which is affecting all sectors of the economy. We have a nation, where giving birth is like a death sentence," Chimwemwe Chipungu, National Safe Motherhood Initiative Coordinator, told OnIslam.net.
"As government, we are very keen to change this gloomy picture in order to save lives of women who are dying in large numbers at child birth. We are ready to partner with the Muslim community and other stakeholders in this regard, because we all share a common vision.
"Unless, various groups of people turn up to work with government in this direction, safe motherhood will remain a challenge in this country. We need to join hands and mobilize resources to halve the population of women who are dying while giving birth."
Supporting the initiative, Shari`ah scholar Ahmed Chienda said the development was in line with teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who he said had valued the lives of women lost while giving birth.
"The Prophet had valued the lives of women lost while giving birth. It is for this reason that he declared all women who die at child birth as martyrs. I therefore, applaud this initiative," Chienda told OnIslam.net.
"Because of the sacrifices and pain associated with child birth, the Prophet said all women who die while giving birth will have their place in paradise. He said this to honor them for what they go through."
Chienda welcomed the initiative as a step forward.
"Time has come, that we have to do something to at least reduce the numbers of women dying. It is very unfortunate that we have allowed this to become a norm and not much has been done to address this challenge. This initiative therefore would be a step towards achieving that goal. Women should not die at child birth while we watch," he said.
Concurring with Chienda, Chief Kwataine, National Chairperson of Presidential Initiative for Safe Motherhood, noted that unless efforts were intensified, women will continue dying at an alarming rate.
"Maternal mortality is one of the worst economic and health challenges the country is struggling to deal with. We need adequate resources and trained personnel towards providing quality maternal health services," Chief Kwataine, told OnIslam.net.
"The picture is very gloomy and pathetic. It is a giving a message that all is not well and something needs to be fixed. We need to listen to the cries of women who are dying in agony. The time is now.
"As traditional leaders, we have to play a role to break cultural beliefs, which are fueling the maternal mortality rate. We have to be in the fore front to sensitize people on the need to access modern maternal services."
Officially, Malawi is a secular state, but with diverse religions. Islam is the second largest religion after Christianity. Muslims account for 36%of the country's 16 million population.
Ndaila appealed for massive support from well-wishers towards the success of this initiative.
"We are very much determined to reduce the figures of women dying while giving birth. Giving birth should be a source of pride and not otherwise," said Ndaila.
source : www.onislam.net
