Nairobi, 25 October -- Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the African Region stand to lose $45 billion over a ten-year period (2001-2010) if action is not taken to improve maternal health care in the Region, according to statistics released Friday in Nairobi by WHO.

"At current estimates, if no changes are made to avert maternal deaths, the loss in productivity, over the ten-year period, will be almost $22 billion, and the loss from disabilities will total $23 billion," WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Ebrahim Samba, said in a presentation to a one-day roundtable on Reproductive Health in the Kenyan capital.

Dr Samba's presentation, titled "Reducing maternal deaths: the challenge of the new millennium in the African Region", was made by Dr Doyin Oluwole, Director of the Division of Family and Reproductive Health at the Brazzaville-based WHO Regional Office for Africa.

In human terms, Dr Samba noted that at least 2.5 million maternal deaths, 7.5 million child deaths and 49 million disabilities will be recorded during the ten-year period if the current situation persists. "These shocking figures sound the alarm and call for dramatic improvements in maternal health care in the Region," he said.

The Regional Director stated that WHO had responded to the challenge by embarking on the Making Pregnancy Safer Initiative which focuses on strengthening health systems to ensure that pregnant women and their babies receive the care they needed and deserved.

Dr Samba also called for immediate action saying: " If we act now to reduce maternal mortality by 50 per cent over the ten-year period, we estimate that approximately 500,000 lives will be saved, 10 million disabilities averted, and the lives of 1.5 million children saved." In addition, a net productivity gain of $10 billion will be realized from the prevention of these maternal deaths and disabilities."

He listed four conditions as necessary for the reduction of maternal and new born deaths: commitment, policies, resource allocation and partnerships. "Working together in partnership, we can enable African women to fully enjoy their rights to health and quality life and to fully contribute to the social, economic and political development of the Region", he added.

For further information, please contact

Dr Doyin Oluwole Director, Division of Family and Reproductive Health 
World Health Organization - Regional Office for Africa 
P.O. Box 6 Brazzaville, Congo 
Email: oluwoled [at] afro.who.int 
Tel: 1 321 953 9478; In Nairobi: Tel: (254-2) 271 79 02; 271 91 41
 Fax: (254-2) 271 91 41; 271 91 42