There are no enough qualified midwives in the country, leading to high maternal death rate, a health official has said.

Judith Cenia, senior midwife at Juba Teaching Hospital, says most of the practicing midwives have not received enough training, which exposes mothers to high risks of death during birth.

She spoke to Eye Radio this morning, to mark the International Nursing and Midwifery Day.

“There’re not enough midwives in South Sudan, especially registered midwives. Mothers go and visit traditional birth attendants,” said Ms Cenia.

“This has led to the increase in the rate of maternal death of mothers during childbirth because the number of midwives is not enough.”

South Sudan has the worst reported maternal mortality rate in the world, according to health reports.

One in seven South Sudanese women will die in pregnancy or childbirth, often because of infections (from puerperal fever and retained placenta), haemorrhaging, or obstructed births, with a lack of access to healthcare facilities playing a large role in their deaths, the reports say.

Ms Cenia urged pregnant women to visit hospitals for antenatal health care before and during childbirth.

The International Nursing and Midwifery Day is being celebrated under the theme: “Midwives for a better tomorrow”.