Africa must tackle negative cultures that cast men who support their wives during childbirth as "weaklings", if maternal and child mortality rates are to fall on the continent, it has been claimed.
Uganda's gender and culture minister Lukia Nakadama said involving men in the process is crucial to addressing the high death rate for women during childbirth.
Ms Nakadama told the fourth African Union pre-summit conference on gender at the Speke Resort Munyonyo in Uganda: "Most campaigns against maternal and child mortality mainly target women as if they are the only ones affected by this problem. We also need to bring men on board."
The minister said many men take their wives and children to hospital but the male-dominated culture means they are often criticised for their involvement.
"We should move away from negative cultures that portray men who accompany their wives to hospital as weaklings. This kind of attitude has caused the deaths of many women during childbirth because the men have neglected their role of helping their wives. If you don't help your woman when you are only two, who will help her?" she asked.
Ms Nakadama also blamed the tradition of female genital mutilation for contributing to the death rate, saying: "In African cultures, where girls have to get circumcised before getting married, one in four girls die during childbirth. This is because many of the young girls don't go for antenatal care due to ignorance and fear."
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