Matabeleland South women resort to home deliveries

HEALTH officials in Matabeleland South province have expressed concern over the sharp increase in mothers practising home deliveries due to lack of health facilities.

Provincial maternal, neonatal and child health officer Norbert Singini told Southern Eye that most women in the province preferred home deliveries and ended up losing their newly-born babies due to pre and post-natal complications.

In rural Matabeleland, villagers are forced to travel distances of over 20km to the nearest health facilities as clinics are few and far apart.

“What of course has and is still our challenge is the physical accessibility of most of our health centres by communities with an average walking distance of 15 to 20 kilometres,” Singini said.

“The process of giving birth is not as easy as straightforward and simple as what most ordinary people might think. It can be associated with many medical risks and complications to both mother and baby, which are better addressed within a health facility by trained health providers,” he said.

“Babies can be subjected to foetal distress, a physiologic compromise to the unborn baby due to the process that impairs proper flow of oxygen and nutrients from the mother (through placenta and umbilical cord) to the baby.”

According to the World Health Organisation, 800 women die daily “due to complications of pregnancy and childbirth, including severe bleeding after childbirth, infections, hypertensive disorders and unsafe abortions”.

An estimated 99% are in developing countries and for Zimbabwe, the mortality rate stands at over 462 mothers out of 100 000 live births.

“Too big or small babies are at risk. Too big a baby for the birth canal will pose a difficult delivery causing the baby to be stuck along the way and possibly die if not properly assisted. Too small babies are at risk of dying post-delivery due to adoption challenges in the external environment,” he added.

“The mothers wound is one organ that is richly supplied with blood and more so towards the end of delivery. Its failure to contract well after birth can cause severe bleeding that is difficult to manage at home.

“In light of these examples, it is very important that pregnant women plan for their deliveries within health institutions where they can be provided appropriate medical care and avoid preventable negative outcomes.”