DILI, 10 may 2022 (TATOLI)—The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health (MoH), today provided a three-days training for medical workers from Baucau, Maubisse, and Guido Valladares (HNGV) hospitals to reduce maternal mortality and infant mortality.
WHO representative for Timor-Leste, Arvind Mathur, said the training was aimed at providing knowledge to medical personnel to find solutions to the causes of maternal and infant mortality.
Matur emphasized the three main causes of maternal and infant mortality that most occur in Timor-Leste, saying that WHO is working with partners to implement strategies to find solutions to this problem.
“Most of the world including TL, the cause of maternal mortality is due to heavy bleeding after delivery, second, family beliefs to be supported before being taken to hospital, other causes of inadequate transportation and clinical facilities,”
“To prevent this, WHO and other partners are trying to implement strategies to find solutions, one of which is by providing training to medical personnel,” said Mathur.
The Director-General of Cooperation of the Ministry of Health, Marcelo Amaral, informed that the training was to find the solution to the causes of maternal and newborn deaths so that immediate action could be taken to prevent them.
“Audits and reviews of maternal and child mortality are important to improve the quality of delivery services as well as anticipate and prevent the same cases from happening to mothers and babies, therefore the purpose of this training is to reduce maternal and newborn mortality, by providing early warnings to medical personnel,” he said.
According to data from the Ministry of Health, in 2020, maternal mortality was 50% at the age of 30 to 39 years, 32% at the age of 20 to 29 years, and 8% at the age below 19 years and above 40 years.
Journalist : Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Nelia Borges
