Other than the factors discussed in the lecture, what do you think are other factors affecting maternal mortality rate in the Philippines?
Other than the factors discussed in the lecture, another problem adding to the high maternal mortality rate in the Philippines is the COVID-19 pandemic. According to an article sourced from the United Nations Population Fund (2020), family planning and maternal and newborn health services have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic all across the world. This indirectly affected the Philippines with it being a low-income country with a weak health care system. As a result, unintended pregnancies, decline in women’s reproductive health, and maternal deaths significantly increased.
Back then, the low level of contraceptive use was also a factor that contributed to the maternal mortality rate in the Philippines. As we all know, birth control pills, condoms, and other forms of contraceptive use hold a negative connotation in our country for it is often associated to abortion which is against the beliefs of most Filipinos, especially the Catholics. With this, contraceptives are not widely available in most health care clinics leading to its limited access. Due to this limited access, most people engage in unprotected sex leading to unplanned and unwanted pregnancies that often results to unsafe abortion.
What are the top 3 causes of maternal mortality ratio in the Philippines? Top 3 maternal morbidity?
According to the data from the Department of Health that was presented in the lecture, the top 3 causes of maternal mortality in the Philippines are 1) complications related to pregnancy 2) hypertension and 3) hemorrhage. Meanwhile, the top 3 causes of mortality morbidity are 1) hemorrhage 2) infection and 3) unsafe abortion.
REFERENCES:
Project, B. (2020, July 16). Maternal Mortality in the Philippines. The Borgen Project. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://borgenproject.org/maternal-mortality-philippines/
Significant rise in maternal deaths and unintended pregnancies feared because of COVID-19, UNFPA and UPPI study shows - Philippines. (2020, August 17). ReliefWeb. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/significant-rise-maternal-deaths-and-unintended-pregnancies-feared-because-covid