Recent statistics show that the maternal mortality rate in Kenya is at 488/1000 with Kisumu County ranking amongst the high prevalence areas at 597/1000 (According to UNFPA statistics of 2014).
In order to reduce the mortality rate arising from unsafe abortion in Kisumu County, KMET took the bull by its horns by holding a sensitization meeting on post abortion care (PAC) services with the Kisumu sub –county health managers.
The two-day meeting was attended by 20 sub county health managers from Muhoroni, Nyando, Nyakach and Seme who unanimously agreed that quite a number of women die as a result of unsafe abortion and others out of not accessing quality PAC services.
This meeting was then followed with five-days training on PAC services for 28 providers from facilities within those sub counties including those from private facilities.
KMET Deputy CEO Sam Owoko noted the need to include private facilities in such trainings since the private sector offers up to 52% of service yet they are rarely included in update trainings.
The two groups were taken through the legal framework in Kenya that guides their practice as far as abortion is concerned by Sarah Aliongo, a lawyer and a member of FIDA.
The providers were also trained on proper counseling services, pain management in PAC, infection prevention and record keeping and adverse event reporting in PAC.
Kisumu County Reproductive Health Coordinator, Norah Bett, who gave the closing remarks, called on the providers to ensure they offer quality PAC services especially those from facilities in remote areas so that women do not have to seek the service all the way in Kisumu town.
Norah urged the providers to integrate other services such as family planning and proper counseling in PAC services.
The training was facilitated by Mercy Abuoro, RH Coordinator Kisumu District Hospital, Sylivester Aluoch and Tom Arunga from Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital.
By Lynette Ouma.
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