Zimbabwe’s Minister of Health and Child Care, Douglas Mombeshora, has warned that rising neonatal mortality is threatening progress made in reducing maternal deaths, calling for urgent improvements in the quality of care during childbirth and the immediate postnatal period.
Speaking at the RMNCAH+N Conference, the minister acknowledged that Zimbabwe has made notable gains in lowering maternal mortality but said the increasing number of newborn deaths signals gaps in the health system that require immediate attention.
“Zimbabwe has made significant progress in reducing maternal deaths, but we remain concerned about the rising neonatal mortality, which underscores the urgent need to improve the quality of care around childbirth and the immediate postnatal period,” Mombeshora said.
According to data from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency and the World Health Organization, Zimbabwe’s maternal mortality ratio declined from about 651 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2015 to roughly 462 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2019, reflecting improvements in maternal health interventions and access to institutional deliveries.
However, neonatal mortality, deaths occurring within the first 28 days of life, has remained a major concern, with estimates ranging around 27 deaths per 1,000 live births, accounting for a significant share of under-five mortality.
Health experts note that newborn deaths now constitute nearly 40 percent of all under-five deaths in many developing countries, including Zimbabwe, largely due to complications related to premature birth, birth asphyxia, infections and inadequate postnatal care.
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He said tackling preventable maternal and newborn deaths will require coordinated action across government institutions and society.
“A whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, strengthened primary health care, reliable commodities, a supported health workforce, and data-driven accountability are critical pillars to achieving national health targets,” he added.
The conference, supported by the United Nations Population Fund, brought together health officials, development partners and policymakers to review progress and strategies aimed at improving reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health outcomes.
In Zimbabwe, health authorities say more than 90 percent of pregnant women attend at least one antenatal care visit, while about 85 percent of births occur in health facilities, reflecting expanded maternal health services over the past decade. However, gaps remain in skilled staffing, neonatal intensive care capacity and access to essential medicines in some health facilities.
However, the health ministry says improving survival rates for newborns will depend on strengthening care during labour, delivery and the first weeks after birth, a critical window for preventing avoidable deaths.
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