Liberia makes progress in reducing maternal mortality
---but UNFPA says more should be done
Liberia making progress in reducing maternal mortality as its ratio has dropped from 994 per every 100,000 live births to 770 per every 1000,000 live births, the 2012 Trends in Maternal Mortality report of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said.
UNFPA Resident Representative of Liberia Esperance Fundira made the disclosure at this week’s official celebration of World Population Day in Monrovia.
She said voluntary family planning services to women could limit maternal deaths by 20-35% and child deaths by as much as 20%.
The UNFPA Representative has called on the Liberian government to enhance the implementation of the roadmap on accelerating the reduction of maternal, newborn mortality and morbidity in the country.
Fundira further urged the government to increase its awareness on family planning as a major step towards contributing to the development of women, young adolescent girls and the family.
The UNFPA official praised the government of Liberia for progress made in reducing maternal mortality in the country.
Also speaking, Liberia’s Gender and Development Minister Julius Duncan Cassell encouraged local and internal partners to focus on the traditional midwives by helping to build their capacity, in order to attain number 5 of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Tweet
