By Fatou Sillah
The Minister of Health, Dr. Ahmadou Lamin Samateh, has informed the National Assembly that The Gambia recorded 30 maternal deaths in 2025, according to updated national health statistics.
Responding to a question from the National Assembly Member for Banjul Central during Wednesday’s parliamentary sitting, Dr. Samateh provided revised maternal mortality figures generated through the country’s health information management system.
“The correct maternal mortality statistics for 2025 indicate a total number of maternal deaths of 30, with 80,720 live births recorded,” the minister told lawmakers.
He further outlined the institutional and national maternal mortality ratios, explaining that the figures are derived from both health facility and community-level data.
“The institutional maternal mortality ratio stands at 128.8 per 100,000 live births, while the total maternal mortality ratio is 116.1 per 100,000 live births,” he said.
Dr. Samateh noted that the statistics are generated through the District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2), a digital platform that automatically processes and tracks health data to enhance accuracy and minimize reporting errors.
“The DHIS2 platform automatically calculates and tracks maternal mortality statistics,” he explained.
According to the minister, the system distinguishes between maternal deaths occurring within health facilities and those recorded in communities, enabling a more comprehensive assessment of maternal health outcomes nationwide.
“The institutional maternal mortality ratio reflects maternal deaths within health facilities, while the total maternal mortality ratio takes into account both community and facility-based maternal deaths,” he said.
Addressing discrepancies in previously reported figures, Dr. Samateh acknowledged that an error had occurred during the retrieval of data from the DHIS2 platform.
“The error arose during the data retrieval process from the DHIS2 platform, leading to the inadvertent presentation of the institutional maternal mortality ratio as the total maternal mortality ratio,” he stated.
The minister also highlighted the major factors contributing to maternal mortality, citing pregnancy-related complications such as hypertension and severe bleeding as among the leading causes.
“There are multiple factors responsible for maternal mortality. Pregnancy-induced hypertension is one of the major causes,” he said.
Dr. Samateh assured lawmakers that the Ministry of Health continues to strengthen maternal healthcare services through improved antenatal care, enhanced health facilities, and stronger data management systems.
He added that every maternal death is subject to a detailed review by the ministry’s Reproductive and Maternal Health Unit and relevant stakeholders to identify underlying causes and implement corrective measures.
“Each time there is a maternal death, we have a reproductive and maternal health unit, and stakeholders sit to review the causes and identify points that need to be addressed immediately,” he said.
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