By Buba Gagigo
Gambian Women’s Lives Matter has called on the government to institute a commission of inquiry to investigate maternal mortality cases.
The anti-maternal mortality advocacy group made the remarks during a peaceful protest on Saturday against maternal mortality.
They described the march as a ‘call to action’ amid the surge in the number of deaths at birth among women in the country.
The protesting group presented six demands to the Gambia Government for “urgent and comprehensive action”
“To institute a commission of inquiry to publicly investigate all maternal deaths over the last 5 years with a view to ascertain the reasons and identify measures to address them.
“To open a public inquiry on the utilization of the funds given to the health sector during COVID-19 to ensure that every butut was well spent in line with the law, and where there have been cases of corruption and mismanagement, necessary measures of accountability are undertaken.
“Call on the government to increase the budgetary allocation to the health sector to the 15% agreed in line with the AU Abuja Declaration of 2001.
“The Ministry of Health to take responsibility for all babies of mothers who died out of negligence, incompetence, lack of proper infrastructure or for lack of adequate and timely information.
“The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare as well as the Department of Social Welfare to be fully strengthened and empowered to take up their roles more effectively to serve women and girls.
“We are calling on the Government to eliminate all costs related to antenatal and postnatal care and strengthen the O&G units of all health facilities in the country to ensure availability, access, and quality in cases of corruption and mismanagement, necessary measures of accountability are undertaken.
“Call on the government to increase the budgetary allocation to the health sector to the 15% agreed in line with the AU Abuja Declaration of 2001.
“The Ministry of Health to take responsibility for all babies of mothers who died out of negligence, incompetence, lack of proper infrastructure or for lack of adequate and timely information.
“The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare as well as the Department of Social Welfare to be fully strengthened and empowered to take up their roles more effectively to serve women and girls.
“We are calling on the Government to eliminate all costs related to antenatal and postnatal care and strengthen the O&G units of all health facilities in the country to ensure availability, access, and quality” the demands read.
Gambian Women’s Lives Matter is a non-partisan advocacy group comprising men and women with the aim of reducing maternal mortality and raises awareness of the public, state and non-state actors on matters affecting women and girls in The Gambia.