DUBAI: Morocco is increasing efforts to stem the rising maternal mortality rate in the country through a number of measures aimed at assisting women who give birth outside hospitals. The new efforts aim at targeting rural communities in the North African country. Experts say about 132 deaths per 100,000 live births occur each year. At a meeting organized by Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) – a Moroccan political party founded in 1975 – a number of factors were listed as the main causes of maternal mortality in the North African country. Lack of infrastructure and human resources; socio-cultural factors, particularly the close family circle; poverty and distance to the nearest hospitals; lack of access to medical care or supervision during pregnancy and labor, were some of the subject treated during the November 7 meeting. Samira Rouhani, sister of Souad, who died during labor in Morocco, related her experience: “It was her first pregnancy. She didn't receive any medical check-ups because she was living in a remote douar in Beni Mellal. Her husband could not get her to the hospital. She had to rely on a traditional midwife, who could do nothing to help her. She should have had a Caesarean. She died at the peak of her age in front of her mother's eyes,” Samira said, Magharebia.com said on Monday. Moroccan Health Minister Yasmina Baddou said his government has managed to provide medical supervision of more than 455,000 women in labor in the public sector, which is a 19 percent increase since 2007. He added that the aim for 2012 is to have 500,000 births taking place within a properly monitored environment. In the longer term, the national plan is to reduce maternal mortality to 50 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to the minister. BM
