Seventh mother’s death highlights midwife shortage in South Darfur

A young woman died after complications during childbirth in Otash camp in Nyala, South Darfur on Tuesday. This seventh such death since August 2016 highlights a growing concern.

One of the camp elders told Radio Dabanga that the high mortality rate during childbirth in the camp is directly related to the lack of midwives and medical care. There is also no ambulance available for the camp.

"This latest death is directly related to the fact that this young woman had no access to medical assistance when she experienced complications during labour."

He said that young women having their first child are especially vulnerable, and called on the authorities and humanitarian organisations to provide midwives, ambulance services and medicines to the camp.

Training

The Sudanese federal Ministry of Health has acknowledged a countrywide shortage of up to 15,000 midwives. In Darfur there are 5,000 too few.

The ministry says it is currently training 2,000 midwives to cover the Darfur states, and called for the implementation of the directives of the Sudanese President to employ the new midwives, pay them salaries, including them in employment ladder.