MBABANE – Health Minister Mduduzi Matsebula has been appointed Chairman of the 76th East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) Conference of Health Ministers.
Matsebula took over the position from the outgoing chairperson, Malawi’s Minister of Health and Sanitation Madalitso Baloyi. In her handover remarks, Baloyi wished Matsebula a successful tenure and assured him of Malawi’s continued commitment to the regional health agenda.
In his acceptance speech, Matsebula said he was honoured to receive the baton. “I extend my profound gratitude and accept this responsibility with a solemn commitment to serve our collective vision with diligence,” he said. He thanked Baloyi for serving with grace and pledged to build on her legacy by listening to all member states.
Meanwhile, Director of Health Services in the Ministry for Health Dr Velephi Okello delivered the country’s progress statement. She said Eswatini is focused on universal health coverage (UHC) for 2024 to 2028.
“Protecting people from outbreaks is essential to achieving UHC. We remain committed to strengthening systems that keep people safe,” she said.
Dr Okello explained that the country is improving how it finds and stops health threats by using the Immediate Disease Notification System. She noted that the toll-free public health hotline, 977, links communities to rapid response teams and ambulances.
She added that Eswatini has not seen major outbreaks since COVID-19. In 2023, the country reported two cholera cases and investigated Mpox alerts with no confirmed cases. However, she warned that seasonal malaria is increasing in some areas.
Still-births every 30 seconds in Africa
MBABANE – University of Cape Town Professor Salome Maswime says about one million stillbirths occur annually in the African region.
She said this during a comprehensive presentation on the second day of the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) Health Ministers Conference, at Ezulwini, Eswatini.
Professor Maswime said while it is widely known that a woman in Africa dies from pregnancy-related complications every two minutes, what many people do not realise is that every 30 seconds a baby is stillborn on the continent.
“The work that we initially did in our research focused on improving stillbirth data recording, collection and reporting,” she said.
Professor Maswime said the team conducted a study and compiled a report, which was launched a few months ago and revealed disturbing findings.
“What we found, in partnership with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and UNICEF, followed a survey conducted across 55 African countries, with responses from 33 countries. The data presented was drawn from those 33 countries,” she explained.
She said the study found that most countries accounted for stillbirths, with 88 per cent having systems in place to collect stillbirth data. However, major variations were noted in how stillbirths were defined and in the classification systems used.
“The biggest issue we identified was that the quality of data varied significantly. Only 58 per cent of the countries reported capturing all the recommended details. In many cases, a country records that a stillbirth occurred but does not classify the cause or capture other critical information that could be used to make informed decisions on improving care for women at risk of experiencing a stillbirth,” she said.
Professor Maswime further noted that only 66 per cent of the countries required formal reviews of stillbirth data. In terms of policy direction, only 59 per cent of countries had set targets for reducing stillbirth rates.
“Countries are looking at the numbers, but they are not necessarily working towards actively reducing stillbirths,” she said.
Professor Maswime added that although 70 per cent of countries produce regular stillbirth reports, only 56 per cent of these reports are published.
“What we found is that data systems do exist, but the real challenge lies in the quality of those data systems,” she said.
Meanwhile, speaking on neonatal care and women, children and adolescent health in Eswatini, Ministry of Health Director of Health Services Dr Velephi Okello said the country’s commitment was straightforward: Ensuring that every woman and every child receive quality healthcare in the right place and at the right time, without financial hardship or discrimination.
“We are strengthening the foundations that make health services work, including a capable health workforce, facility readiness, essential medicines and supplies, along with stronger data for decision-making and accountability. At the same time, we are addressing social and gender barriers that limit access, especially in underserved communities,” she said.
Dr Okello said the ministry had recorded encouraging results, with 99 per cent of women in the country attending at least one antenatal care visit and antenatal visit expectations had been extended in line with updated guidelines.
“Teenage pregnancy has declined from 87 to 78 per 1 000 live births, while HIV transmission from mother to child has fallen from three per cent to 1.3 per cent. Stillbirth rates declined from 14.2 to 13.6 per 1 000 births between 2021 and 2023, while perinatal mortality reduced from 28 to 23.8 per 1 000 by 2024,” she said.
She added that faster and more equitable progress was still required, particularly for vulnerable populations.
“Going forward, Eswatini will improve maternal and newborn health service quality at every point of contact, strengthen systems through sustainable financing and reliable supplies and accelerate prevention through partnerships. We reaffirm our commitment,” said Dr Okello.
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