Maternity Protection Convention, 1919 (No. 3) - Central African Republic (Ratification: 1964)

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2023, published 112nd ILC session (2024)

Previous comment

Application of the Convention in practice. The Committee takes note of the information provided by the Government in its report that, despite the amendments of 2009 to the Labour Code, the General Decree No. 3759 of 25 November 1954, concerning the work of pregnant women, remains in force. The Committee also takes due note that in the context of the ongoing reform of the current Labour Code, innovations have been introduced to the new Chapter III, concerning the protection of pregnancy and maternity of workers. In this context, the Committee requests the Government to provide a copy of the new Labour Code, once adopted, and to indicate how its content complies with the provisions of the Convention.

Article 3(c) of the Convention. Free health care. The Committee notes the indication by the Government that measures have been taken, in the context of the new national health development plan, to protect pregnant women, which will be implemented in line with the ongoing national policy to achieve universal health care. The Committee takes note, however, that Central African Republic is estimated to have a very high rate of maternal mortality, with 835 deaths per 100,000 women (see Analytical Fact Sheet, WHO, 2023), and that one in nineteen women in the country is at risk of dying from maternal causes (see Trends in maternal mortality, Annex 4, WHO, 2023). In view of this, the Committee requests the Government once more to provide detailed information on the measures envisaged or adopted to improve health care services afforded to women during prenatal, childbirth and postnatal periods, and to prevent and reduce maternal mortality.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2022, published 111st ILC session (2023)

The Committee notes that the Government’s report has not been received. It hopes that the next report will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous comments.

Repetition

New legislative framework. The Committee notes the adoption of Act No. 009.004 of 29 January 2009 issuing the new Labour Code. It observes that the provisions of the Act relating to maternity protection (sections 252–258) are in conformity with the requirements of the Convention.The Committee requests the Government to indicate whether the regulations in force under the previous Labour Code, such as General Decree No. 3759 of 25 November 1954 concerning the work of pregnant women, remain in force with amendments where necessary.

Article 3(c) of the Convention. Free health care. According to the 2010 United Nations report monitoring the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), in the Central African Republic the maternal mortality ratio is among the highest in the world, at 540 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2006. Only 53 per cent of births are attended by qualified health-care staff. The aggravating factors referred to by the report include: the low level of education of women; low levels of household income limiting access to health care during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period; inadequate health-care infrastructure and equipment with uneven distribution at the expense of rural areas; and insufficient numbers of qualified and specialist health-care staff with a serious imbalance to the disadvantage of the provinces (four or five gynaecologists for the whole country, all of them in the capital).

The Committee notes that the challenges facing the country include: strengthening existing health-care services (recruitment and further training of health-care personnel and their deployment throughout the country); achieving free health care in the medium term for women during childbirth and for complications arising out of pregnancy; and reinforcing the capacity of traditional midwives to detect and refer childbirth-related emergencies in a timely manner.Recalling that women workers covered by the Convention shall be entitled to free attendance by a doctor or certified midwife, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the measures taken or contemplated to significantly reduce the maternal mortality ratio and provide information in its next report on progress made in this regard.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2013, published 103rd ILC session (2014)

New legislative framework. The Committee notes the adoption of Act No. 009.004 of 29 January 2009 issuing the new Labour Code. It observes that the provisions of the Act relating to maternity protection (sections 252–258) are in conformity with the requirements of the Convention. The Committee requests the Government to indicate whether the regulations in force under the previous Labour Code, such as General Decree No. 3759 of 25 November 1954 concerning the work of pregnant women, remain in force with amendments where necessary.

Article 3(c) of the Convention. Free health care. According to the 2010 United Nations report monitoring the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), in the Central African Republic the maternal mortality ratio is among the highest in the world, at 540 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2006. Only 53 per cent of births are attended by qualified health-care staff. The aggravating factors referred to by the report include: the low level of education of women; low levels of household income limiting access to health care during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period; inadequate health-care infrastructure and equipment with uneven distribution at the expense of rural areas; and insufficient numbers of qualified and specialist health-care staff with a serious imbalance to the disadvantage of the provinces (four or five gynaecologists for the whole country, all of them in the capital).

The Committee notes that the challenges facing the country include: strengthening existing health-care services (recruitment and further training of health-care personnel and their deployment throughout the country); achieving free health care in the medium term for women during childbirth and for complications arising out of pregnancy; and reinforcing the capacity of traditional midwives to detect and refer childbirth-related emergencies in a timely manner. Recalling that women workers covered by the Convention shall be entitled to free attendance by a doctor or certified midwife, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the measures taken or contemplated to significantly reduce the maternal mortality ratio and provide information in its next report on progress made in this regard.