A four days workshop on maternal mortality reduction and reproductive health for traditional leaders in the Lower Bambara chiefdom has ended at the sectional headquarter town of Kamboma on the Kenema – Tongo field high away in the Korjie Ngieya section.
The workshop which was organized by the centre for the information of sexual and productive health with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) brought together town chiefs, section chiefs and other sub chiefs including Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA), women chiefs, and health personnel from community health centers within the chiefdom and the Panguma hospital.
The objectives of the workshop was to engage health practitioners and traditional leaders in the chiefdom in dialogue on safe motherhood and reproductive health life of women and chart a way forward for the reduction of maternal mortality in the Lower Bambara chiefdom in the Kenema district.
During the formal opening ceremony of the workshop at the Panguma community centre the Paramount Chief of Lower Bambara chiefdom PC Alimamy Farma thanked the organizers for such a workshop and expressed concern over the number of pregnant women that die in their communities during delivery.
Chief Farma welcomed all the participants and advised the chiefs and Traditional Birth Attendants to take the workshop very seriously and to fully contribute to suggestions and decisions that will contribute to the reduction of maternal mortality rate in his chiefdom in particular and the country as a whole.
In her contribution the Women leader in Lower Bambara chiefdom Madam Nancy Gando attributed maternal mortality rate with female pregnancy and the reluctance of the women within the communities to use the health facilities available to them during pregnancy.
A senior section chief of the chiefdom Patrick Komeh who represented the traditional leaders pointed out that the chiefdom is losing most opportunity such as safe motherhood because most of the women are not using the maternal health facilities in their communities even the one at Panguma hospital.
He pleaded with the women and all the Traditional Birth Attendants to refer all deliveries to the hospitals. He called for cooperation and good working relationship between the hospital staff and the TBAs and the women to work with them to end this menace in our communities.
The workshop ended with a plan of action for the reduction of maternal mortality rate in the chiefdom and the district as a whole.
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