Maternal mortality

reduce maternal mortality

As you know, the 3^rd goal for worldwide Good Health and Well-Being promotes a healthy lifestyle, preventive measures, and efficient healthcare for everyone.

In relation to this, one of the concerning targets is Maternal Health. This refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period.

In pregnancy, each stage should be a positive experience, ensuring women and their babies reach their full potential for health and well-being. And although important progress has been made in the last two decades, about 295 000 women died during and following pregnancy and childbirth in 2017. This number is unacceptably high. That is why we want to dedicate a moment to talk about this issue.

facts

Every day in 2017, approximately 810 women died from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth.

- Between 2000 and 2017, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR, number of maternal deaths per 100 000 live births) dropped by about 38% worldwide.

- 94% of all maternal deaths occur in low and lower middle-income countries.

WHY DO MATERNAL MORTALITY OCCURS...

The most common direct causes of maternal injury and death are excessive blood loss, infection, high blood pressure, unsafe abortion, and obstructed labour, as well as indirect causes such as anaemia, malaria, and heart disease. Also, many other still women experience life-threatening complications during pregnancy.

The point is that most of these maternal deaths would be preventable with the support of a skilled health professional working in a supportive environment.

...AND WHERE?

The high number of maternal deaths in some areas of the world reflects inequalities in access to quality health services. In other words, women in less developed countries have a much higher risk of death due to pregnancy.

15 countries are considered to be “very high alert” or “high alert” being a fragile state: South Sudan, Somalia, Central African Republic, Yemen, Syria, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti, Guinea, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Ethiopia. These countries, in 2017, showed maternal mortality ratios ranging from 31 deaths/100 000 live births (Syria) to 1150 deaths/100 000 live births (South Sudan).

Also, the risk of maternal mortality is the highest for adolescent girls under 15 years old and complications in pregnancy and childbirth are higher among adolescent girls aged 10-19 years old.

how we can save women's life?

Most maternal deaths are preventable, as the health-care solutions to prevent or manage complications are well known. All women need access to high quality care in pregnancy, and during and after childbirth.

Also, in order to avoid maternal deaths, it is vital to prevent unwanted pregnancies. All women, including adolescents, need access to contraception, safe abortion services and quality post-abortion care.

MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE IN PORTUGAL

In our country, according to DGS, the maternal mortality rate is expected to increase in the next few years. In contrast to the reasons explained above, in Portugal, the rate is influenced by factors such as the woman's age in pregnancy and childbirth and underlying pathologies, which leads to greater complexity in care to provide and increases the risk of disease and death.

Even so, Portugal’s maternal mortality rate maintains around 8 deaths per 100 000 live births, which is relatively low when compared with rates in underdeveloped countries.

CHASING 3rd SDG

In conclusion, ending preventable maternal death must remain at the top of the global agenda. Surviving pregnancy and childbirth should not be life threatening. Instead, it should be a safe and individual choice made by all the mothers to be. In that process, it is fundamental to ensure all women have access to respectful and high-quality maternity care.

Besides, addressing the differences needed for women in terms of sexual and reproductive health, is another step to take in order to achieve this goal.

We would like to take the chance to stand out a couple worldwide organizations that are currently working on these duties:

Pathfinder International (https://www.pathfinder.org/about-us/who-we-are/) is a global health organization working with local partners in Africa and Asia to advance contraceptive services, comprehensive abortion care, and young people’s sexual and reproductive rights in communities around the world—including those affected by poverty, conflict, climate change, and natural disasters.

Maternal Health Alliance (https://www.maternalhealthalliance.eu/) works on policies across Europe to guarantee equal access to high quality maternal healthcare for all women, regardless of nationality, background or socio-economic status.

Needless to say that maternal health and newborn health are closely linked. Therefore, ensuring mothers’ health and well-being means to stand behind a whole new generation and to guarantee a better future worldwide.

Sources:

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality

https://www.globalgoals.org/3-good-health-and-well-being

https://reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12978-018-0527-2

https://www.indexmundi.com/map/?v=2223&l=pt

https://www.sns.gov.pt/noticias/2019/05/14/mortalidade-materna

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Maternal mortality

reduce maternal mortality

facts

how we can save women's life?

Maternal Health Alliance (https://www.maternalhealthalliance.eu/) works on policies across Europe to guarantee equal access to high quality maternal healthcare for all women, regardless of nationality, background or socio-economic status.