Some 582 deaths among mothers and newborns are recorded for every 100,000 live births in Mauritania, Health Minister Mohamed Nedhirou Hamed said in Nouakchott on Monday.
Speaking at a regional workshop on the clinical popularization of midwives, organized in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and with the participation of some 20 West and Central African, the minister said that this alarming rate of neonatal mortality requires the setting up of a specialized human framework, including midwives.
According to him, Mauritania suffers from an acute midwifery deficit in the interior regions, despite the existence of numerous health schools.
He added that Mauritania was targeting 70 deaths among mothers and newborns for every 100,000 live births by 2030.
He also explained that a midwives’ clinical extension approach is to ensure that midwives are trained in their workplaces by trained midwives with the necessary skills and experience.
According to him, this approach is essentially aimed at improving the quality of treatment in midwifery.
MOO/te/fss/as/APA