29% of women in Kigezi region still prefer to give birth from their homes at the expense of giving birth from health facilities, according to the statistics released today by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics.

The statistics released by George Kawage, a senior statistician with Uganda Bureau of Statistics, during the dissemination seminar of findings from the Uganda Demographic and health services survey for Kigezi region held at White Horse Inn Hotel in Kabale Municipality.

The survey also indicated that in Kigezi region, 14 percent of women give birth from private health facilities, 56percent opt for public health facilities as only one percent give birth from other unidentified places.

The 2016 Uganda Demographic and health services survey is the 6th conducted in the country since 1988 as part of the Demographic health survey program. The survey is designed to provide estimates at the national level,Urban and rural areas in each of the 15 regions in the country.

Dr. Asaph Byamugisha a medical officer with Rukungiri district local government condemned the practice of some women giving birth from their homes and described the practice as unfortunate.

Byamugisha said that delivering from homes puts mothers at risks of heavy bleeding, retaining of the placenta which can in turn lead to loss of life. He added the practice also increases the risks of HIV spread to newly born babies.

Byamugisha advised women in the region to always embrace delivering from health facilities for their well being and for the well being being of their babies and families in general.