By Moses Kulubya
Namisindwa district has embarked on rebranding Traditional Birth Attendants to Trained Birth Referral Attendants as part of efforts to fight maternal deaths in the district.
This was revealed by Steven Masayi, the acting District Health Officer of Namisindwa, during the delivery of a donation of 100 Maama Kits to expectant mothers at Bupoto Health Centre III by Dr Sarah Khanakwa, the district Woman MP aspirant on Friday.
According to Masayi, the rebranding started way back in 2012 after the district realising many women had resorted to seek birth attention from Traditional Birth Attendants than health centres where they got complications and loss of lives.
“Many pregnant mothers were running to these TBAs for delivery and most of them ended up getting complications that caused maternal mortality” he said.
He adds that the health department of the district decided to train them about referral which he says has reduced maternal deaths from TBAs almost to zero.
Led by Khwaka Bennah and Namaye Euspina, the TBRAs in Namisindwa acknowledged the trend change in maternal deaths due to their involvement however they urged the district leadership to forge means to facilitate them since sometimes they have to move late in the night which is risky.
Dr Khanakwa says her donation is based on the government’s calling for safe motherhood since most communities are facing the challenge of preventable maternal mortality.
She also urged other private sector organisations and CSOs to join the course for the safety of mothers and called upon the government to start on basic provisions to mothers like Maama Kits in government health facilities to reduce maternal mortalities.
