BY ELIZABETH MENGISTU
Every year, the month January is marked as “Safe Motherhood Month” to raise the concern of global community regarding the importance of healthy pregnancy and motherhood, advocate and mobilize resources for increasing access to quality maternal health services; increase awareness on preventable maternal and infant mortality and ensure that all women receive the care they need to be safe and healthy throughout the times of their pregnancy and childbirth.
This year’s “Safe Motherhood Month” is being marked across the globe under the theme “Let us together prevent maternal deaths caused by preventable causes.” In relation to the Month, last Monday, the Ministry of Health gave a briefing to the media.
Speaking on the occasion, Health Minister Dr. Lia Tadesse said that, in the coordinated efforts exerted to reduce maternal mortality, encouraging successes have been registered. In this regard, in 1990, in every hundred thousand live births, the mortality rate for mothers was 1250. However, following the coordinated efforts, the rate has seen a 68 percent reduction in 2017 and only 401 deaths occurred per 100,000 live births. The success was the outcome of the coordinated works done focusing on the accessibility and equity of health services.
Citing a report issued by the United Nations in 2017, Dr. Lia said that every year, 295,000 mothers die across the globe due to reasons related to pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum, of which 94 percent of maternal deaths occur in developing countries. Similarly, in Ethiopia about 14,000 mothers annually and 38 daily die due to pregnancy related health complications.
Ethiopia, though registered remarkable achievements in reducing the rate of maternal mortality; further strengthening stakeholders’ coordination should be strengthened to secure the lives of mothers from preventable causes, she added.
According to the Maternal Death Survey and Response report, the reasons for mothers’ death such as postpartum hemorrhage; hypertension associated with pregnancy, infection, obstructed labor and anemia are preventable causes. Thus, preventing maternal deaths that happen from preventable causes is the responsibility of everyone; and works carried out in partnership with stakeholders should be further strengthened.
In the past few years, in various parts of the country where man-made and natural problems have occurred, mothers and children have been among the most vulnerable sections of the society. Mainly, for the reason healthcare services were not accessible in those areas and limitations to provide services in an organized manner, the scope of mothers’ and children’s vulnerability due to the case was high.
“Therefore, when we mark this year’s “Safe Motherhood Month” we will think of mothers who were in warzones, and in other conflict ridden areas and focus on resuming the services of health institutions that have been out of service for long and further strengthening the coordination of all stakeholders,” Dr. Lia stressed.
Maternal and Child Health Directorate Director with the Ministry Dr. Meseret Zelalem on her part said the “Safe Motherhood Month” is marked for the 36th time globally and for the 17th time in Ethiopia with the theme “Let us together prevent maternal deaths caused by preventable causes.”
“When we mark the month, in addition to the work carried out by the government in coordination with its partners, the month will be celebrated with a number of programs by creating a community movement, involving stakeholders and decision-makers at all levels in maternal health, as well as undertaking various awareness raising activities,” Dr. Meseret remarked.
“Safe Motherhood” means maternal services provided to women during antenatal, delivery and postpartum periods. The four pillars that are considered Safe Motherhood are Family Planning, antenatal care, essential obstetrics care and clean/safe delivery, according to documents.
Safe Motherhood for all women is enshrined as a basic human right by the United Nations to provide the necessary resources and adequate reproductive health, maternity and newborn care or to enact and enforce laws to support equality for women in all aspects of their life, which includes abolition of child marriage and other harmful traditional practices. It also means ensuring all women receive the care they need to be safe and healthy throughout pregnancy and childbirth as well as ensuring the safety of the mother and child.
The Ethiopian Herald January 12/2023
