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Other than the factors discussed in the lecture, what do you think are other factors affecting maternal mortality rate in the Philippines?
One major factor affecting the maternal mortality rate (MMR) in the Philippines is expensive healthcare. According to Chanco (2019), the Philippines places second among the countries with the most expensive medical expenses. In line with this, data reveals that medical costs will continue increasing and will inflate by up to three times and even more as time progresses. Along with the government’s lack of health programs, high-priced medications, novel diagnostics and procedures, and overprescribing of treatments drive up the cost of health care. As a consequence, most low to middle-income Filipinos refrain from going to the hospital due to financial constraints.
Another factor is the inaccessibility of maternal and child services, especially in the provinces. Fermoso (2018) stated that the lack of hospital facilities and the absence of obstetricians in rural areas is the top reason behind the high MMR in Palawan. Likewise, this also holds true for other remote areas that have no doctors or hospitals. As a result, they opt for “hilots” or traditional birth attendants that usually have no formal training in handling birth deliveries. Hence, there is no assurance of quality service thus leading to increased likelihood of mortality during pregnancy.
Aside from these, lack of information on sexual and reproductive health is also a contributing factor. As this still remains as a taboo topic, a lot of misinformation is being spread. Despite the implementation of the Reproductive Health (RH) law, there is still no implementation of comprehensive sexuality education due to the conservative nature of our country. This leads to people, especially teenagers, seeking help from informal and inaccurate sources which can late on result to uninformed choices and unwanted pregnancies.
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What are the top 3 causes of maternal mortality ratio in the Philippines? Top 3 maternal morbidity?
According to the Department of Health (2013), the top three causes of maternal mortality in the Philippines are (1) complications related to pregnancy, (2) hypertension, and (3) hemorrhage. On the other hand, the top three causes of maternal morbidity are (1) hemorrhage, (2) infection, and (3) unsafe abortion.
References:
Chanco, B. (2019). Philippines healthcare unaffordable. Philstar.com; Philstar.com. https://www.philstar.com/business/2019/07/05/1932014/philippines-healthcare-unaffordable#:~:text=The%20Philippines%20is%20the%20second,from%2013%20percent%20in%202018.
Department of Health. (2013). Maternal Deaths by Main Cause. https://doh.gov.ph/Statistics/Maternal-Deaths-By-Main-Cause
Formoso, C. (2018). Lack of hospital facilities add to high maternal deaths in Palawan. @Pnagovph; Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1029819