LUSAKA, May 9 -- Zambian Vice President Mutale Nalumango expressed concern on Thursday over the high levels of maternal and neonatal deaths in the country, calling for concerted efforts to tackle the problem.

While acknowledging notable reductions in maternal and neonatal deaths over the years, the vice president said that current figures remain high and fall short of the national target to reduce deaths by 2026.

"Though there have been some improvements in maternal and neonatal health outcomes in recent years, the country is still far from achieving the 2022-2026 national health strategic plan targets. This is unacceptable for our country," she said at the opening of the Maternal Newborn Health Summit.

The two-day summit, organized to find solutions to reduce maternal and neonatal deaths, is being held under the theme, "Together, let's ignite a call for action for accelerating the reduction of maternal and neonatal deaths through a multi-sectoral approach."

Maternal deaths in the country stand at 278 per 100,000 live births against the national target of less than 100, while neonatal mortality is at 27 per 1,000 live births against the national target of less than 12 per 1,000 live births, she said.

The vice president said the country needs to analyze the root causes of maternal and neonatal deaths apart from focusing on poor health services.

She added that the government is committed to improving the health of citizens, especially mothers and their newborn babies, through various interventions in the health sector.

Beatrice Mutali, the United Nations resident coordinator in Zambia, called for more efforts to tackle the problem of maternal and neonatal health in Zambia, which remains high.

She said that preventive deaths continue due to limited access to affordable healthcare services, among other reasons, and expressed the UN's commitment to supporting the government in improving access to healthcare services, especially for vulnerable populations in remote areas.

  - Xinhua