With the collaboration of The Public Health Ministry and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Tunisia became the first country in North Africa launching the campaign for the accelerated reduction of maternal mortality in Africa (CARMMA).
The launch of CARMMA was announced on Thursday 24th November during a regional conference organized in the golden Tulip Hotel el Mechtel in Tunis, with assistance of more than 150 participants from 20 countries, international experts and representatives of organizations and international development.
The aim of this initiative is to share with other African countries some experiences in maternal mortality reduction, to support and encourage co-operation between states of the South.
The aim of this initiative is to share with other African countries some experiences in maternal mortality reduction, to support and encourage co-operation between states of the South.
The opening Ceremony began with a very sad news which is the death of CARMMA’s Ambassador of Chad Ms. Achatone Gossinar , who died at the eve of her participation in the event. Therefore, The audience stood for a minute of silence in memory of her death.
As for M. Mohamed Salah Ben Ammar, general director of Health department precised that the Tunisian policy of health faces many challenges, to improve the quality of health services equally between the different regions of the country.
For Ms. Bience Gawanass, from the African Union and who had presented the situation of Maternal mortality in Africa and the Arabian world, she expressed her admiration for the enormous progress made by Tunisia in this subject, and she kept insisting on sharing experiences and solutions, also she added that women and women's health have to be a priority not only in Tunisia but in all Africa. She finished her speech by saying:“AFRICA cares; NO woman should die while giving life”.
From Cameroon, Mr.Seidou Moluh shared with the audience a successful experience of his country, despite the availability of health care to the public, it still not enough. Since CARMMA was launched on 8 Mai 2010 with the presence of the first lady of CAMEROON, things got more better and the government has considered the health of the child, not just the mother’s as a priority.
There was much more presentations in this conference, but it is very obvious that CARMMA has made a huge progress in AFRICA, but efforts still to be done.