Kenyan representative in the African Network against Child Neglect and Health Dr. Eunice Mungha’sia says that majority of maternal death victims in both urban and rural areas in the country are young women.
Dr. Mungha’sia claimed that rise in the number of young women dying is attributed to their involvement in abortion or suicide attempts according to a new research report done by their organisation.
She revealed this on Saturday when she addressed participants attending a community health sensitisation forum at Dundori Health Centre that was organised by the health centre management to mark the International Women’s Day celebrations.
According to Dr. Mungha’sia, new research findings by the organisation that was carried out in rural Kenya late last year, to establish the root causes of maternal death among rural women, suggested that many victims are faced with numerous socio-economic problems that force them to try abortion or suicide.
She also observed that poverty, diseases, sex abuse by close relatives and senior members of society like religious leaders, teachers and administrators drive young women to commit suicide or carry out abortion.
“Our young women in schools or who are gripped in poverty and other social life complications like sex abuses by family and senior members in the community are likely to contemplate suicide or abortion. Unfortunately such activities have greatly contributed to maternal death,’’ observed Dr. Mungha’sia.
She held that county governments and other stakeholders should come up with more vibrant measures to prevent maternal death in their areas, including opening up maternal health counselling centres in the respective counties.