Dakar, 20 October -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on countries in the African region to adopt and scale up demonstrated good practices that have improved reproductive health indicators elsewhere with a view to improving maternal health and reducing child mortality.

"The situation in Africa is such that without a major paradigm shift in the way we do business, we will be far from achieving these goals " WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Ebrahim Samba, told the second meeting of the WHO Africa Regional Reproductive Health Task Force which opened Monday in the Senegalese capital.

Dr Samba stated that such "best practices" that could be adopted and replicated in countries in the Region were in the areas of maternal and newborn health, the elimination of harmful traditional practices, the translation of research results into programmes, the improvement of adolescent health, the revitalization of family planning and the prevention of mother-to-child of HIV.

"Our vision is to ensure the enjoyment by all people in the Region of an improved quality of life through a significant reduction in maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality, good traditional practices, and conditions that enable women, men, young and old, to participate in and benefit from health development," the Regional Director said.

He challenged the 20-member task force to define "the way forward" with regard to the role of Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) who, although not considered skilled practitioners, have always been easily accessible, highly respected and socially sanctioned childbirth attendants in many African communities.

He also sought the body's guidance on how the Region should commemorate the Maternal and Newborn Health Week which WHO plans to institute for observance in Member States in the African Region during the week of the Mother's Day from May 2004.

Dr Samba then announced the appointment of Ambassador Gertrude Mongella of Tanzania as the Goodwill Ambassador for the WHO African Region on Women's Health with a special focus on maternal and newborn care.

As Goodwill Ambassador, Mrs Mongella, a Member of Parliament in her country, would advocate for women's health among various target groups and raise awareness on the need for fundraising for maternal and newborn health programmes by African Governments, regional economic groupings and international bodies.

With an average maternal mortality ratio of 1,000 per 100,000 live births in 2001, the African Region is regarded as having the highest maternal mortality ratio in the world. Almost half of the 600,000 pregnancy- and childbirth-related deaths recorded annually worldwide occur in Africa which has just 12% of the world's population, and only 17% of the global annual births, according to current WHO estimates. . Losses attributable to these deaths are projected to reach $45 billion over a 10-year period (2000-2010) if steps are not taken to improve the situation.

For further information,

Media contacts: 
Samuel T. Ajibola Khalifa, Mbengue
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Technical contact: 
Dr Doyin Oluwole 
Director, Division of Family and Reproductive Health 
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Email: oluwoled [at] afro.who.int (oluwoled[at]afro[dot]who[dot]int)