Improve Maternal Mortality and Health
- Target A: Reduce by 3/4, the maternal death rate in specified time period.
- Target 5B: Achieve universal access to reproductive health
Maternal mortality, as a major cause of death, is an important issue focus by international development efforts, and it's also include as fifth goal of MDGs. Targets for achieving this goal was that to reduce maternal mortality rate and achieved universal access to reproductive health.
Every year thousands of women die from difficulties during pregnancy or childbirth, almost all of them belongs to developing countries. Pregnancy related difficulties are the leading cause of high mortality rate among women. Moreover Sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia zones are the main areas where most of deaths from complications of childbirth occurred. Together these two zones accounted for 85% of maternal deaths. The high rate of maternal deaths in some areas of world reflects the inequities in access to health services and highlights the gap between poor and rich. Majority of poor class suffered from the maternal deaths as they are far away from the proper health services. Furthermore the maternal death rate is highest for teenage girls under 15 years old. Maternal health and infant health are closely connected. More than three million new-born offspring die every year.
South-Asia is one of the most dangerous area to give birth in world. It also have second highest maternal mortality rate. In South-Asia, a rich households are attended by five times more skilled attendants than a poor household. Rural and Urban disparity also exist in Southern Asia. Haemorrhage is one of the leading cause of death in South Asia. South Asia shows an improvement of 14 percentage points since 1990, to 54% but still it's far away from the 2015 target.
(Source: PDF: Measuring South Asia's progress towards the Millennium Development Goals) (Andrew Jackson & Anil Singh) http://www.sansad.org.in/analysis.htm
High maternal death rate is not only the problem of developing countries, even some of the most developed countries like USA is also suffering from this problem. US maternal mortality rate increases during 1990 to 2012. In 1990 the average maternal death rate is 12 out of per 100,000 live births but in 2008-2012 the maternal mortality rate increases to 21 out of per 100,000 live births.
However, significant progress has been measured in nearly all developing countries. In Afghanistan maternal deaths rates in 1990 is 1000 out of per 100,000 live birth but now in 2012 it reduces to 460 which shows the significant development regarding maternal health.
(Source: Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990-2010; Estimates Developed by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and the World Bank.) http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.MMRT
An estimated 287,000 maternal deaths occurred in 2010 globally, a drop of 47 per cent from 1990.The solution for maternal mortality is only skilled attendance at the time of mortality. Only a skilled health professional such as midwives, nurses and doctor can only manage interventions which prevent life threatening difficulties and complications during pregnancy. In developing regions overall, the ratio of deliveries attended by skilled health personnel increases from 55 percent in 1990 to 65 per cent in 2010
(Source: MDG report 2012 by United Nations)
Through MDGs overall, a significant progress has been seen made to improve maternal healthcare globally. According to the united nation Millennium development goals report, 34% maternal mortality rate have reduced during 1990 to 2008 in developing countries.
The target of achieving universal access to reproductive health has been added to goal 5 to address the importance of family planning and health services in improving maternal health and preventing maternal deaths. Women with multiple pregnancies are more likely to die during childbirth.
There have been important developments in maternal health and decrease in maternal deaths is also measured but still progress is very slow. Reductions in teenage motherhood and development of contraceptive use have been encouraged in many countries, but at a slower speed since 2000 than over the decade before. Still this goal is far away from the 2015 target.
World Health Organization (WHO) is working to reduce maternal mortality by providing evidence-based clinical and programmatic, setting global standards and providing technical support by arranging workshops and programmes.
(Source: WHO-Maternal mortality Fact sheet May 2012)
Conclusion
Maternal health can only be achieved if primary healthcare services at grassroots levels are improved and proper medical facilities are provided to suburbs and rural areas. Moreover urban hospital should also be upgraded. Training programmes and Workshops should be arranged for the improvement of skills of medical staff. Education is also the best way to reduce maternal mortality as through education more awareness can be spread. More women's should be trained for Lady Health visitors so that they may be placed in remote areas for providing awareness regarding maternal health and how to overcome complications during pregnancy. Increasing a woman's access to family planning would help improve maternal health and will reduce the maternal mortality rates.
Conclusively, all MDGs are interlinked, progress in goal will automatically supports the other goal. Education target will contributes to achieve low maternal death rates besides that it will also contributes in achieving other MDGs like poverty, child mortality. If female enrolment is increased then maternal and reproductive health targets can be achieved.
