Nurses, medics and other health workers from around the country are currently pooling their knowledge and resources while reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of the Maternal and Child Health programme.
The three-day workshop at the Waterchris Hotel was opened yesterday and Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy informed the health practitioners that they all have to ensure that babies are born safely and one month after their parents must still be celebrating instead of enduring the agony of a death.
PAHO/WHO Representative to Guyana Dr Kathleen Israel said worldwide people should only feel comfortable when the death of a baby during birth is a rare occurrence.
Ramsammy pointed out that most of the children and mothers who die worldwide die from preventable causes and cautioned that it is the collective tragedy of everyone.
Outlining what Guyana has been doing in this area, the minister said the country is now into an expanded programme for immunisation and that the country has reached greater than 90% in vaccination coverage. But he said the workers should not rest easy as 10% of children have not been vaccinated and these children must be found.
Dr Israel said maternal and child deaths is an area that is vital to human development and life and also it relates to two of the millennium goals. She said there can be nothing more devastating than deaths during pregnancy and birth. She said Guyana has made significant strides in reducing maternal deaths.
