Kigali — A new program that seeks to reduce maternal mortality was launched yesterday by the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) Rwanda, an advocacy and campaign group set up to accelerate achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The Gender Cluster Coordinator in Rwanda’s Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, Egidia Rukundo, hailed GCAP Rwanda for the initiative and called upon stakeholders to mobilise and motivate Rwandans to end maternal deaths.

“I hope this campaign will take a big step towards ending maternal mortality rates in the country,” Rukundo said.

Speaking during the launch, the UN Millennium Campaign’s Communications Coordinator for Africa, Sylvia Mwichuli, said maternal deaths are still a big challenge on the continent of Africa.

“Rwanda has made significant progress on gender equality and empowerment of women as one of the MDGs,” Mwichuli said.

In an interview with The New Times, Rene Niyonteze, GCAP Rwanda Coordinator, called on the Rwandan Government to increase the number of skilled health personnel, especially in rural areas.