A 15-year-old is among 21 women in Kasempa District of North-western province who have died to pregnancy, labour and delivery complications since 2023, with six maternal deaths recorded so far this year. North-western Provincial Nursing Officer, Florence Mutondo says the district’s maternal death toll has held steady at six per year since 2024 which was […]
A 15-year-old is among 21 women in Kasempa District of North-western province who have died to pregnancy, labour and delivery complications since 2023, with six maternal deaths recorded so far this year.
North-western Provincial Nursing Officer, Florence Mutondo says the district’s maternal death toll has held steady at six per year since 2024 which was concerning.
Ms Mutondo said this during a stakeholders meeting in Kasempa district of North-western province.
“Kasempa District recorded three maternal deaths in 2023, when the province lost 57 women overall, rising to six deaths in 2024 as the provincial toll eased slightly to 55 and remaining at six in 2025, when the provincial figure climbed to 64. The district has again recorded six deaths so far this year, with the province’s toll standing at 44 and the year not yet over,” Ms Mutondo added.
“As it stands, Kasempa district has lost a total of 21 women due to pregnancy, labour and delivery complications from 2023 to date, with the youngest aged 15 and the oldest 41. The majority of the deceased were below the age of 30,” She said.
Ms Mutondo said some maternal deaths occurred outside health facilities, raising concern over delays in seeking skilled medical care.
“Not all of them died at facilities, some died at their houses. Out of the six women who have died this year, two died outside our health facility. This is disheartening, seeing the efforts that government has put in place to improve maternal health,” She said.
Ms Mutondo, however, commended Kasempa District for surpassing the national target of 95 percent antenatal care (ANC) coverage across all trimesters, despite North-western Province as a whole falling short of the target.
“As a country, we have a target of 95 percent ANC all-trimester coverage. The province has not achieved that 95 percent coverage. However, Kasempa district has surpassed the target, outperforming other districts in the province, which is very commendable,” She said.
Ms Mutondo further expressed concern over teenage pregnancies, saying Kasempa district has continued to rank among the districts with the highest teenage pregnancy rates over the past three years.
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