Bay's public health in crisis
By TMG Editor - 30 October 2014
WITH the highest number of newborn baby deaths in hospitals nationally, the percentage of starving children doubling, an increase in pregnant women dying and a tuberculosis time bomb, Nelson Mandela Bay is facing a deepening crisis.
The latest national public health study, the District Health Barometer which was released last night, painted a picture of a highly ineffective public health system in the metro.
The Bay was singled out as being in crisis with the highest in-hospital newborn baby death rate in the country and particularly bad outcomes for TB treatment.
The statistics published in the review revealed that:
- 25.7 out of every 1000 babies born will die in hospital shortly after birth. This is the highest in the country.
This, however, improved significantly from 2012 onwards.
- 132.9 out of every 100000 mothers die while pregnant or shortly after delivering their babies.
- The number of children dying of acute malnutrition almost doubled from 5.1% of those admitted to 9.8%.
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