Zimbabwe faces maternal and neonatal crisis: 299 newborns and 54 mothers lost in January 2025

ZIMSPHERE 

HARARE – In a stark revelation to Parliament, Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister of Health and Childcare, Sleiman Kwidini, disclosed that 299 newborns and 54 mothers died due to childbirth complications in January 2025 alone. The figures underscore a deepening healthcare crisis, particularly in rural areas, where access to adequate medical services remains severely limited.

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Harare Province recorded the highest number of deaths, with 111 neonatal fatalities and 19 maternal deaths. 

Kwidini, speaking via NewZimbabwe.com, stated, "The maternal deaths as of January 2025 to date is currently set as 54. Moving back to 2024, I will start by Harare Province where we have maternal deaths of 19 and neonatal deaths of 111."

The primary cause of maternal mortality was hypertensive disorders and related complications, such as renal failure. Other significant factors included post-partum hemorrhage following abortions, normal deliveries, and cesarean sections. 

Underlying conditions like HIV and Diabetes Mellitus, as well as dilated cardiomyopathy, further exacerbated the risks.

For neonatal deaths, respiratory complications were the leading cause. 

Kwidini explained, "On neonatal deaths of 299, the leading cause was respiratory distress as a complication. Secondary was birth asplenium due to challenges with intercultural chair."

Kwidini highlighted the disproportionate impact on rural communities, where inadequate healthcare infrastructure and staffing shortages persist. 

"We are indeed having challenges in rural areas, especially when one changes skills and also the road networks where our people should access medical attention quickly, especially pregnant women," he said.

The deputy minister acknowledged the migration of trained midwives to better opportunities abroad, which has placed additional strain on the healthcare system. 

"However, what we have done as the ministry now is, we are retraining because we know our trained midwives have migrated to what is called greener pastures, which gives us a burden as a ministry," he added.

To address the crisis, the government has launched a large-scale retraining program for midwives and is upgrading primary care nurses in rural areas to perform midwifery duties. 

Kwidini stated, "We are also upgrading what we call primary care nurses in rural areas to be able to be midwives so that they can also render services like the ones which were being given by those departed midwives."

Additionally, the ministry has deployed mobile scanning machines to improve antenatal care. 

"We have gone far further to deploy what we call mobile small scanning machines so that our pregnant women can undergo scanning, which is recommended at the initial stage when the pregnant woman is going to book for antenatal care so that we reduce those complications, especially on maternal and neonatal deaths," Kwidini said.

Despite these efforts, critics argue that the government’s allocation of limited resources remains skewed. 

Funds are often diverted to extravagant expenditures, such as luxury vehicles for bureaucrats and hefty perks, rather than addressing the dire needs of the healthcare sector. 

This misallocation of resources continues to hinder progress in improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes.

Zimbabwe’s struggle to equip medical facilities and adequately remunerate healthcare staff mirrors challenges faced by many developing nations. 

However, the escalating maternal and neonatal mortality rates highlight the urgent need for sustained investment and prioritization of healthcare to prevent further loss of life.