WINDHOEK, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's Minister of Health and Social Services Kalumbi Shangula on Thursday officially opened a new maternity hospital in Windhoek, the Namibian capital, to address the country's maternity and child health challenges.

The new APGAR Maternity Hospital aims to address these challenges and align with global health goals to reduce maternal mortality to below 70 per 100,000 live births and neonatal mortality to at least 12 per 1,000 live births by 2030, Shangula said.

"Our latest data indicate a maternal mortality ratio of around 215 per 100,000 live births, which, although improved compared to previous years, demands relentless effort to reach the global targets," he said in a statement at the event.

According to Shangula, it is not acceptable that a woman should lose life in the process of giving life during delivery, and it is also equally not acceptable that a baby loses life in the process of coming to life.

"Although Namibia is performing better than the Sub-Saharan African average, we still have a considerable journey ahead of us to meet our international obligations and benchmarks," he noted.

Shangula said Namibia has embarked on various initiatives to meet its obligations.

"Our Policy on Social Contracting for Health Services which was launched in October 2023, exemplifies our proactive strategy in this pursuit," he said, adding that the policy enables the health ministry to foster partnerships with civil society organizations and the private sector, ensuring that health services are not just available, but accessible and equitable.

The new hospital will focus on normal birth deliveries and cesarian sections and is set to be affordable, even to mothers with no medical aid. Enditem

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