Ukushona komama kuyinkinga yezempilo emhlabeni wonke eqhubeka nokubulala abesifazane abangaphezu kuka-800 nsuku zonke, ukufa okukodwa okwenzeka njalo ngemizuzu emibili , ngokwezibalo zika-2020. Esethulweni sakhe sakamuva ku-DIMA Health Webinar Series, uSolwazi Lawrence Chauke ovela eMnyangweni Wezempilo waseGauteng kanye naseNyuvesi yaseWitwatersrand unikeze umbono obanzi ngesimo samanje sokushona komama kanye nezixazululo ezihlukene ezidingekayo ukuze kuliwe naleli qiniso elidabukisayo. Isethulo sikaProf. Chauke, esinesihloko esithi, Health Systems to Combat Maternal Deaths: Lessons Learned and Innovative Solutions , sahlola ukuthi kungani ukufa komama kusewudaba olucindezelayo lwamalungelo abantu, inkomba yekhwalithi nokusebenza kwezinhlelo zezempilo, futhi kuwuphawu lokungalingani kwezenhlalo nobulili. Ukushona komama akubonisi nje ukwehluleka kwezinhlelo zezempilo kodwa futhi izici zenhlalo-mnotho namasiko ezikhawulela ukufinyelela kwabesifazane ekunakekelweni kwezempilo okufika ngesikhathi nokwanele. UChauke ugcizelele iqiniso elibuhlungu lokuthi iningi lalokhu kufa —amaphesenti angu-75—kubangelwa izinkinga ezihlobene nokukhulelwa ezifana nokopha, ukuphazamiseka komfutho wegazi ophakeme, kanye nezifo, konke okungavinjelwa kakhulu ngezisombululo ezithengekayo, ezisekelwe ebufakazini. Elinye lamaphuzu ahlaba umxhwele kakhulu okwethulwa kwakuwukuhlolwa kwezithiyo zokunakekela, okuboniswa ngeSifanekiso Sokubambezeleka Okuthathu . Ukubambezeleka kokuqala—ukunquma ukufuna ukunakekelwa—imvamisa kungenxa yezici zezenhlalo-mnotho namasiko. Ukubambezeleka kwesibili—ukufinyelela ezikhungweni zokunakekelwa kwempilo—kuthikamezwa ukungenelwa kwezinto zokuhamba nokufinyelela esikhungweni, kuyilapho ukubambezeleka kwesithathu—ukuthola ukunakekelwa okufika ngesikhathi, ukunakekelwa okufanele ezikhungweni zezempilo—kugcizelela ukusilela kwesistimu ohlelweni lokunakekelwa kwezempilo. Lokhu kubambezeleka kunomthelela emazingeni amangalisayo okufa komama emazweni anemali engenayo ephansi kanye nephakathi, ikakhulukazi i-sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), lapho isilinganiso sokushona komama (MMR) sihlala singu-317 kwabayi-100,000 abazalwa bephila, uma kuqhathaniswa namazinga aphansi kakhulu amazwe anemali ephezulu. Nakuba i- Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.1 ibiza ukuba kwehliswe i-MMR yomhlaba wonke ibe ngaphansi kwama-70 kubantwana abayizi-100,000 abazalwa bephila ngo-2030, uProf Chauke wethule ukuqagela okusangulukisayo: ngezinga lamanje, lo mgomo ubonakala ucishe ungafinyeleleki. Kusukela ngo-2015 kuya ku-2023, i-MMR yehle kancane kuphela isuka ku-227 yaya ku-223 , izinga elingaphansi kakhulu kokwehliswa konyaka okungu-11.6% okudingekayo ukuze kuhlangatshezwane ne-SDG 3.1. Isimo esingcono kakhulu se-SSA sisabikezela i-MMR ye-198, ebonisa ukuthi ngaphandle kokungenelela okusheshayo nokubalulekile, isifunda sizosilela kumgomo womhlaba wonke. UProf. Chauke wabe esephendukela ezisombululweni ezingaba khona, ezinikeza ithemba ngokungenelela kwamazinga amancane kanye nezinguquko zesakhiwo phakathi kwezinhlelo zezempilo. Ukugqugquzela kwakhe ukwandisa ukufinyelela okuhlela umndeni, ukunakekelwa kwabakhulelwe okuthuthukisiwe, kanye nokusetshenziswa kwababelethisayo abanekhono esikhungweni sokubeletha kwenanela izindlela ezingcono kakhulu zomhlaba wonke ezikhonjiswe ukuthi zehlisa kakhulu ukufa komama nezinsana. Ukweseka kwakhe ukuguqulwa komsebenzi – lapho abasebenzi bezempilo abangakhethekile kangako benza imisebenzi egcinelwe abasebenzi abaqeqeshwe kakhulu – kufakazele ukubhekana nokushoda kwabasebenzi emazweni afana neMozambique, iMalawi, neRwanda, ngempumelelo ebonakalayo. Amasu anjalo, uma ehambisana nokuzibophezela kwezepolitiki kanye nokwesekwa kwenqubomgomo, angaguqula.
Technology, according to Chauke, is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal for addressing maternal mortality. The rise of e-health and digital solutions, such as geospatially enabled GPS maps for improving healthcare access, mobile messaging services for patient education and reminders (such as South Africa’s MomConnect), and drones for the transportation of medical supplies, represent innovative ways to overcome the traditional barriers faced in healthcare delivery. The role of telemedicine, electronic health records (EHR), and decision support software (DSS) has further demonstrated potential in reducing maternal mortality by improving access to healthcare services, supporting clinical decision-making, and coordinating care across vast and often underserved regions. You can watch the full video here: Link to Video.
DIMA Health’s Role in Addressing Prof. Chauke’s Recommendations
DIMA Health is uniquely positioned to address the Three Delays Model as outlined by Prof. Chauke, through a comprehensive suite of programs and digital tools. DIMA Health’s Ma’ambassadors Program could play a key role in addressing the first delay—the delay in deciding to seek care. Trained maternal health champions are embedded within communities to raise awareness about the importance of timely antenatal care, recognizing danger signs during pregnancy, and encouraging women to make informed health decisions. Their close ties with local communities are essential for promoting early care-seeking behaviours, which are crucial in reducing maternal mortality. The second delay—the delay in reaching healthcare facilities—could be directly tackled by the DIMA SafePassage Program. This program provides reliable, safe transportation for pregnant women in areas with poor infrastructure, ensuring that they can reach medical care when needed. By overcoming geographical barriers, the SafePassage Programme helps reduce the time it takes for women to access lifesaving services, mitigating the risks associated with delayed care. DIMA Academy could address the third delay, which involves delays in receiving adequate care at healthcare facilities. Through its accredited training programs, the DIMA Academy enhances the skills of healthcare workers, ensuring that a sufficient number of trained professionals, such as midwives and community health workers, are available to provide high-quality care. This training equips healthcare workers with the knowledge and skills to handle maternal emergencies efficiently, reducing the risk of delays in treatment due to staff shortages or inadequate training. By building a stronger healthcare workforce, DIMA Academy directly improves the quality-of-care women receive, particularly in underserved areas. A critical, integrative element across all three delays is DIMA Health’s DIMA Link platform, which acts as an enabling tool to streamline maternal health services. DIMA Link bridges the gap between healthcare providers and patients by offering digital tools for appointment scheduling, health education, and care coordination. For the first delay, DIMA Link provides women with timely reminders for antenatal visits and health information, empowering them to seek care early. For the second delay, the platform allows easy booking of transportation through SafePassage, ensuring that logistical issues do not prevent women from reaching healthcare facilities. For the third delay, DIMA Link facilitates care coordination, ensuring that healthcare workers have access to patient information, can manage appointments efficiently, and perform timely follow-ups, thus reducing bottlenecks in service delivery. In conclusion, DIMA Health’s Ma’ambassadors Program, SafePassage, and DIMA Academy could work in tandem to address the three delays, while DIMA Link serves as a powerful enabler that integrates these solutions. Together, these initiatives create a comprehensive framework to reduce maternal mortality and improve health outcomes, making DIMA Health a key player in transforming maternal healthcare across Africa.
Disclaimer:
The recommendations and insights presented in this document reflect the perspectives and initiatives of DIMA Health and do not represent the direct views or statements of Prof. Lawrence Chauke. While Prof. Chauke’s work on maternal health and the Three Delays Model has informed aspects of our approach, the content herein has been developed independently by DIMA Health to align with our programs and solutions aimed at reducing maternal mortality in Africa.