Pretoria – Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi says prematurity continues to be one of the biggest causes of new born deaths.
“While this number has decreased over the past five years, it is still far higher than the target of 25/1 000 set in the Sustainable Development Goals, which we need to reach by 2030.
“Of the 38 000 under five deaths [per year], around 11 000 occur in the new born period - that is in the first month of life,” Minister Motsoaledi said on Thursday at an event to mark World Prematurity Day in Winterveldt, north of Pretoria.
Minister Motsoaledi said in the public sector in South Africa, 38 000 children under the age of five die each year. The Minister said of the 11 000 babies that die in the first month of life, about 3 000 deaths per year are due to prematurity.
He encouraged mothers of new born babies to breastfeed them.
“Breastmilk has many advantages for the health of babies and mothers, and we must do all in our power to ensure that every single mother is supported to give their babies mother’s milk only, not even water for the first six months of the baby’s life. Babies need nothing else - no additional food or solids...
“We need to make sure that as a nation, we make it easy for mothers to breastfeed their babies,” Minister Motsoaledi said.
He said communities, families and mothers need to be given information of the advantages of breastfeeding and how to breastfeed.
“Moms need to be encouraged to breastfeed whenever the baby needs milk wherever they are, including in public places. Breastfeeding your baby is the best gift that you can give your baby.
“We should all take responsibility to discourage formula feeding, which should only be used as a very last resort where there are medical reasons,” the Minister said.
World Prematurity Day is an opportunity to draw attention to the heavy burden of death and disability, and the pain and suffering that preterm birth causes as well as to showcase solutions.
According to the Department of Health, prevention and care will advance new born health and development, reduce maternal and stillbirth rates, relieve suffering and lower healthcare system costs.
UNICEF representative Ludovic de Lys said over one million babies around the world die because of prematurity.
“Action needs to be taken to prevent this phenomenon from continuing,” he said.
MomConnect boosts access to health info
Minister Motsoaledi encouraged pregnant mothers to register on MomConnect to be assisted with various issues pertaining to health.
MomConnect was launched in August 2014. To date, over one million pregnant women have registered on MomConnect. They get messages every week related to their own stage of pregnancy.
The first woman to register on MomConnect, Delisile Khumalo (25) from Bethlehem in the Free State, told SAnews that it really helped her to register on MomConnect, as she could ask any question about the stages of her pregnancy.
“I did not have to buy expensive magazines to learn about pregnancy. I only sent questions to MomConnect and they responded immediately,” she said.
Khumalo’s baby is now one year eight months and is healthy. She called on other pregnant mothers to register on MomConnect.
Thuso Sefako (28), pregnant with her first child, said she is going to register on MomConnect to get tips on how to take care of her unborn child.
“I have heard that many people have been assisted and they were given tips on how to breastfeed and how to care for the baby while still young,” she said.
The one millionth person to register on MomConnect, Zandile Mahlangu from Soshanguve, joined the service when she was expecting her second child.
MomConnect harnesses the power of mobile phone technology to provide mothers with potentially lifesaving information about pregnancy, childbirth and the first year of life of the baby.
It also encourages mothers to book antenatal consultations as early as possible in their pregnancies. – SAnews.gov.za
