Picture : Kadinkes Papua Robby Kayame.
Westnoken – Papuas director-general of health Robbie Kayame acknowledged that Papuas maternal mortality rate is high reaching 500 deaths per 1000 live births. The numbers are almost evenly distributed among villages in the three new major provinces said Robbie Kayame who traveled to Jayapura Antara from Papua Katinks on Tuesday. Maternal mortality is high due to many factors including lack of access to regular pregnancy tests through midwives and health centers due to distance from home. In addition women often suffer from malaria during pregnancy as their immune systems are weakened and anemic and they do not have access to midwives and trained health workers during delivery. According to the Katink family the 1000 First Born (HPK) program is still being implemented in several areas including Trikala County in the highlands of Papua.
Gayam said the program not only reduces maternal mortality during childbirth but also helps deliver healthy babies as they receive nutritious food vitamins and vaccines during pregnancy. Apart from this the pregnant women are provided with nutritious food and vitamins and the growth and development of the newborn is monitored and food and vitamins are provided up to 2 years of age so the 1000HPK program will help prevent stunting. He believes that this situation can be prevented. We hope to promote this program again in the future to reduce maternal mortality and stunting. Papua is currently divided into four provinces: Southern Papua Highland Papua and Central Papua and Papua.