1. In response to Making Pregnancy Safer, what are the current programs in the country to address maternal mortality and morbidity? Cite at least 1.
National Safe Motherhood Program
- This program was developed by the Department of Health to ensure the health and welfare of women throughout their pregnancy. Its objectives include (1) establishing accessible, sustainable, and cost-effective health services and (2) raising awareness and establishing support systems that will improve the maternal and newborn health services in the country. With these objectives, the program aims to provide women with quality health services for a safer and healthier pregnancy and delivery.
Community-Managed Maternal and Newborn Care
- Developed by the Department of Health, this program includes a guide for primary health care professionals which primarily focuses on community-based care for newborns and mothers to eliminate the “3 delays” which cause the deaths of many mothers and their children. These three delays include (1) delay in seeking medical care, (2) delay in reaching appropriate care, and (3) delay in receiving health care at facilities. This program also aims to strengthen maternal and newborn care by empowering rural midwives and health care professionals.
References:
Department of Health. (2006). Community-Managed Maternal and Newborn Care: A Guide for Primary Health Care Professionals. https://www.jica.go.jp/project/philippines/0600894/04/pdf/cmmnc_01.pdf
Department of Health. (2018, October 17). National Safe Motherhood Program. Gov.Ph. https://doh.gov.ph/national-safe-motherhood-program
2. What can you suggest in order to decrease our maternal mortality and morbidity in the country? Give at least 3 suggestions.
- Immerse and educate. Studies reveal a relationship between lower levels of maternal education and higher maternal mortality (Karlsen, et al., 2011). When people, especially women of reproductive age, are knowledgeable on maternal education, including the risks and possible complications of pregnancy, they may be more likely to make informed choices and accept necessary interventions to improve their health and well-being.
- Empower healthcare workers. Most midwives in areas with high maternal mortality rate, such as in Manila City, have not undergone the full DOH’s Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC) training (Llamas-Clark et al., 2020). Investing in such trainings and upskilling programs strengthen obstetric knowledge and skills of birth attendants, thereby improving maternity care.
- Strengthen maternal and newborn care programs and policies. The government should not only design cost-efficient policies on maternal and newborn care, but also find a way for these programs to be implemented and carried out efficiently and sustainably for our country.
- Ensure access to quality reproductive health services and education. Although everyone has a right to quality healthcare, an access to it still feels like a privilege. Studies show that the country still faces several barriers to accessing family planning services and contraceptive use (Nagai, et al., 2019). With this, we must aim to make health services more accessible and affordable. As a community, we should also destigmatize the use of contraceptive methods as these do not only prevent unplanned pregnancies, but also reduce the transmission of sexually-transmitted diseases.
References:
Karlsen, S., Say, L., Souza, J.-P., Hogue, C. J., Calles, D. L., Gülmezoglu, A. M., & Raine, R. (2011). The relationship between maternal education and mortality among women giving birth in health care institutions: analysis of the cross sectional WHO Global Survey on Maternal and Perinatal Health. BMC Public Health, 11(1), 606. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-11-606
Llamas-Clark, E. F., de Vera, E. V., Tan, C. F., Marinduque, B. A., & San Juan, F. S. (2020). Strengthening Maternity Care Interventions through a Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS) Coordinated Community Health Workers’ Education (adapted BEMONC) to Address Local Maternal Morbidity and Mortality in Manila City. The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research, 46 Suppl 1(S1), 5–141. https://doi.org/10.1111/jog.14280
Nagai, M., Bellizzi, S., Murray, J., Kitong, J., Cabral, E. I., & Sobel, H. L. (2019). Opportunities lost: Barriers to increasing the use of effective contraception in the Philippines. PloS One, 14(7), e0218187. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0218187