Source:Standard Digital
Updated Tuesday, February 12 2013 at 00:10 GMT+3
By Linah Benyawa
Coast Province has recorded the highest maternal mortality rate. Out of Kenya’s eight regions, it stands at 488 per 100,000 live births, Minister for Public Health and Sanitation Beth Mugo has said.
Ms Mugo was speaking yesterday in Mtwapa, Kilifi County during a tour of Mtwapa Health Centre. She said the statistics were worrying and mostly attributed to mothers who give birth at home and urged them to deliver in hospital.
“The last Demographic Health Survey of 2008/2009 revealed that maternal mortality stands at 488 per 100,000 live births, while child deaths had reduced from 115 per 1,000 live births in 2003 to 74 deaths per 1,000 live births, this is worrying and something has to be done to reduce this rate,” said Mugo.
She also urged the men to ensure their pregnant wives frequent hospitals to stop the deaths, arguing that the risk was so low when one delivered in hospital.
Strategy
She added that the Government had rolled out a Community Strategy that would accelerate progress towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals for Health.
She further said that the ministry through the Economic Stimulus Programme had constructed and equipped 201 model health centres in 201 constituencies across the country, employed additional 10,500 health workers, distributed 43 ambulances, 2,040 motorcycles and 4,999 bicycles in the last two financial years at a cost of Sh4 billion. Each of these model health centres has a maternity and pediatric ward and will also provide breast and cervical cancer screening services, to reduce 
y.
