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 centers on providing Filipino women with full access to quality health services towards safer pregnancy and delivery. In particular, the program aims to address maternal mortality and morbidity by (1) establishing a sustainable, cost-effective approach of delivering high quality maternal and newborn health services that are accessible by disadvantaged women, enabling them to give birth safely in health facilities near their homes, and by (2) establishing core knowledge base and support systems that facilitate the delivery of such quality services throughout the country. The issuance of this policy
MNCHN Strategy
- In response to the country’s challenges in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as a result of the deceleration in the rate of decline in maternal and newborn mortality, the Department of Health issued the Administrative Order 2008-0029 “Implementing Health Reforms for Rapid Reduction of Maternal and Neonatal Mortality”. The issuance of this policy provides the strategy for rapidly reducing maternal and neonatal deaths through the provision of a package of maternal, newborn, child health and nutrition (MNCHN) services. It aims to achieve its goal of rapidly reducing maternal and neonatal mortality through effective population-wide provision and use of integrated MNCHN services as appropriate to any locality in the country.
2. What can you suggest in order to decrease our maternal mortality and morbidity in the country? Give at least 3 suggestions.
- Providing education and awareness. Studies reveal that there is a relationship between lower levels of maternal education and higher maternal mortality (Karlsen et al., 2011). This suggests that educating and spreading awareness about safe pregnancy practices to the population, especially to women of childbearing age, are necessary in order to enlighten them with the knowledge that will help ensure safer and healthier pregnancies.
- Making health care services more accessible. The lack of access to health services is among the many causes of maternal mortality and morbidity in our country. Women from low to middle-income households and women from marginalized areas often find themselves at a disadvantage due to the high cost of maternal health services and limited accessibility of health services in nearby healthcare facilities in rural areas. As a result, many Filipino women may opt to avoid seeking health services. Thus, this calls for a need to establish cheaper to cost-free health care services throughout healthcare facilities in cities and provinces within the country.
- Improving the quality of care provided to maternal patients. One of the leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity are complications related to pregnancy which may be associated with substandard quality of care provided within health care facilities. In order to address such problems, health care institutions must ensure that medical and health care practitioners alike are competent and informed with new techniques or strategies in the field of maternal care. Improving medical equipment is also vital in ensuring that the best quality of care is provided. As such, this calls for the involvement of the government in terms of allocating funds for the improvement of health or medical equipment that meets the standards of modern health care.
References:
Department of Health (n.d). MNCHN Strategy Manual of Operations. Retrieved from https://doh.gov.ph/sites/default/files/publications/MNCHNMOPMay4withECJ.pdf
Department of Health. (2018, October 17). National Safe Motherhood Program. Retrieved from https://doh.gov.ph/national-safe-motherhood-program
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