Saly, Senegal – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) expert in reproductive health, Esabelle Moreira, on Monday urged Afrian countries to make a greater commitment in the fight against maternal and neonatal mortality.

'Strategies and techniques that make it possible to prevent almost all deaths and eradicating diseases affecting mothers are well known and fairly costly and the high rates of maternal mortality represent a terrible injustice, a discrimination against women and point to a failure at some point,' she declared at a workshop in Sally on family planning and the securing of reproductive health products in African media.

The aim of the meeting is to enhance the competence and motivation of media professionals to make relevant and quality productions on securing of reproductive health products, maternal health and family planning in East, Central and West African countries.

Mrs Moreira said over the past few years maternal mortality had largely been perceived as a human right issue and that women had a right to survive delivery in countries south of the Sahara.

She stressed that it was not only an obligation to save women’s lives in the perspective of human rights, but also an excellent investment.

Pana 20/09/2011