Mhathung Ngullie
A DIPR Feature
Every minute, a woman dies in childbirth. Every minute, the loss of a mother shatters a family and threatens the well being of surviving children. Every year, more than 200 million women became pregnant, and some 15% develop complications that require skilled obstetric care to prevent death on serious ill health. All women, whether their pregnancies are complicated or not, need good quality maternal health services during pregnancy, delivery and in the postpartum period to ensure their health and that of their newborn babies.
Safe motherhood implies that a woman remains healthy and safe throughout pregnancy and gives birth to a normal healthy baby, which means ensuring the care that they need to be safe and healthy through pregnancy and childbirth. Safe motherhood embodies the philosophy that ‘no woman should die or be disabled/harmed by pregnancy and childbirth.
Working for the survival of mothers is a Human Rights imperative. It also has enormous socio-economic ramification and is a crucial international development priority. Both the International Conference on Population and Development and Millennium Development Goals call for a 75 percent reduction in maternal mortality between 1990 and 2015. This three-pronged strategy is key to the accomplishment of the goal:
• All women have access to contraception to avoid unintended pregnancies.
• All pregnant women have access to skilled care at the time of birth.
• All those with complication have timely access to quality emergency obstetric care.
The government of India has started national ‘safe motherhood’ programme in 1992 with the aim of reducing deaths of mother and of their newborn babies. The objectives of the programme are to provide three ‘Es’:
1. Essential care during pregnancy, delivery and postpartum period to all women and newborn babies.
2. Early detection of complication during pregnancy and appropriate treatment.
3. Emergencies to be managed carefully, if possible by experts.
Majority of deaths associated with pregnancy and childbirth can be prevented if timely help is avoidable to women. Saving of mother’s lives will have an immense social impact of the family and society. Pregnant women should go and check up/consul the doctor within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and the size of pregnancy from any causes related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management to avoid the accidental or incident causes, source said
Maternal deaths underlying causes are due to health and nutrition, lack of physical access to health care including transportation and finances, medical causes and social cultural factors that obstruct and underplay the importance of health care for women.
In countries such as China, Cuba , Egypt and etc, significant declines in maternal mortality have occurred as more women have gained access to family planning and skilled birth attendance with backup emergency obstetric care. Many of these countries have halved their maternal deaths in the space of a decade.
To ensure the lives of the mothers some of the important to recognize the risk factors in mothers should be initiated by the health workers with the vested interest persons are herewith
• Woman early marriage and late marriage is one of the dangerous factor
• Woman with the history of problems in the previous pregnancy or delivery
• Medical problems like high blood pressures, swelling in the face or feet, Diabetes, T.B. severe anaemia.
Besides, health workers to ensure safe motherhood, they should ensure Tetanus Toxoid to each pregnant woman to safeguard herself and the foetus from tetanus after consulting professionals. Counselling on how to prepare for safe delivery, breastfeed and about effective contraception to prevent repeated pregnancies. It is also the duty of the family members especially the husband to be present at the time of delivery as any mishap would occur which require hospitalization of the mother at the nearest hospital.
Everyone, especially by the health workers should care of mothers after delivery - this includes after her emotional needs, physical needs, ensuring adequate rest, cleanliness, good diet like milk, fruits, green leafy vegetables, pulses, eggs, meat etc. Educating the adolescents about pregnancies and reproductive health is one important factor. Responsible parenthood should be planned properly for a child and continue to look after the needs of the child jointly.
Every year, on the 11th of April, Safe Motherhood has been observed to reduce deaths of mothers and their newborn babies. Just after the launch of partnership for maternity for maternal, newborn and child health, UNFPA aims to mobilize action to reduce deaths among mothers, Newborn and children, promote universal coverage essential intervention, and advocate for increased resource for scaling up efforts.
Many countries is taking initiatives and supported this programme emphasizes capacity development in maternal care to strengthening this need of Human resource. Pregnant women should always be aware about such happenings to avoid them in the near future and also health workers should give outmost efforts to make motherhood safer worldwide.
