WHY DIE GIVIING LIFE?

written by Irenerose Susi

One webpage read: No woman giving life should die giving birth.

Estimates for 2005 show that, every minute, a woman dies of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. This adds up to 500,000 women annually and 10 million over a generation. All of this women-99%- live and die in developing countries. Every year, more than 1 million children are left motherless and vulnerable because of maternal death. Children who have lost their mother are up to 10 times more likely to die prematurely than those who have not.

Maternal mortality has been unacceptably high in developing countries, like the Philippines, more so in third world countries.  And to decrease the percentage in our country would be a challenging task for the MDGs. And to succeed in this endeavor, there are three things that are to be addressed: awareness, the health care providers, and the government institution.

Today’s women have deficiencies in their knowledge of risks that have an impact on maternal and fetal health, such risks which could be traced to factors such as unplanned pregnancies, short inter-pregnancy interval, single marital status, low level of educational attainment, and behavioral risks like tobacco, alcohol, drug use and even malnutrition. All these contribute to the decreased awareness, leading to lack of individual responsibility towards maternal health. 

Health care providers play a major role in providing appropriate program for those planning pregnancy and likewise should be adept in introducing optimal management for those who desire to conceive. They should be trained to handle high risk pregnant women, and skilled in birth attendance, with additional knowledge on emergency obstetric care.

The government and its implementing agency should be steadfast in the implementation of its national programs to reduce maternal mortality, and guarantee access to reproductive health care researches.  It should provide sufficient financing to strengthen health care delivery system, more importantly on maternal and child care.

If these three factors are held in place, and dedicatedly implemented, future risks will be identified, counseling about the potential impact of these risks on woman’s health and pregnancy will be provided, interventions and treatment options will be implemented, and more importantly there might be a higher chance of a good outcome.