Maseru, 9 July 2025 – In a significant transfer to reduce preventable maternal and perinatal deaths, the Ministry of Health (MoH), with toughen from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNFPA, UNICEF, and diversified partners, initiated the pattern, national validation, and Training of Trainers (ToT) on the unusual Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) guidelines.
Lesotho continues to expertise a high maternal mortality rate, at demonstrate estimated at 478 deaths per 100,000 are residing births, down from 529 in 2020. The advance of MPDSR guidelines marks a critical step toward strengthening accountability, bettering health machine responsiveness, and ultimately enhancing maternal and newborn survival.
Over the past two weeks, a series of high-level technical engagements have taken place challenging the Ministry’s Maternal and Baby Health Technical Working Group and aligning national stakeholders around a unified approach to maternal and newborn health.
This was followed by a national stakeholder consultation and validation workshop, guaranteeing broad purchase-in and a shared understanding among all relevant health machine actors.
To make positive that effective implementation, a Training of Trainers (ToT) for key national and district-level personnel was condcuted. The training geared up frontline implementers with the information and expertise necessary to cascade MPDSR processes to sub-national ranges and to make positive that prolonged-time frame sustainability. Mme Mampho Mafereka, Maternal Health Programme Manager at the Ministry of Health, highlighted the relevance of the training. “By empowering stakeholders with the necessary knowledge and skills through the Training of Trainers, this ensures the training can be cascaded down to the district level. It provides accountability, allowing us to delve into the root causes of maternal and perinatal deaths and develop remedial actions to reduce these deaths.”
WHO’s Knowledgeable for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Baby and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) and Ageing at the Multi-Nation Assignment Team (MCAT) Hub for Southern Africa Dr. Roseline D. Doe emphasized the importance of the initiative, stating that it’ll abet as a quality increase machine aimed at cutting back maternal and perinatal mortality. “Tracking and addressing the causes of maternal and perinatal deaths is key to saving lives. By constantly figuring out and reviewing deaths, we can detect and address contributing factor and, ultimately forestall future deaths.”
As the next step, the Ministry of Health will accomplish a total MPDSR implementation plan, which is able to also include the establishment of a National MPDSR Steering Committee to oversee coordination, compliance, and apply-up actions.
This initiative is part of Lesotho’s broader efforts to red meat up health machine performance and scale back preventable deaths among ladies and newborns. It reflects the Executive’s commitment to assembly national and global targets, including Sustainable Style Goal 3 of guaranteeing healthy lives and promoting effectively-being for all.
With technical toughen from WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF, and diversified partners, Lesotho is laying the foundation for safer pregnancies, greater data-pushed choices, and stronger health systems- as MPDSR is now not legal a data machine, it’s miles a quality increase path of that strengthens care and accountability.
