Answer the following and post your answers here. Cite references of your answers as much as possible.
Other than the factors discussed in the lecture, what do you think are other factors affecting maternal mortality rate in the Philippines?
Aside from antenatal care, delivery care and postpartum care, below are some of the factors that contribute to the MMR of the country:
- Improper education system and lack of information - People’s (man and woman’s) access to correct, accurate, and timely information affects their capability to practice maternal health. The lack of recommendations, education programs, and policy changes contribute to deaths and complications because people are not aware of the factors that can contribute to maternal and child death, nor the fact that they should be accessing antenatal, delivery and postpartum care in the first place.
- Psychosocial Influences - Factors regarding maternal health service, especially the perception of care, expected benefits, fear of health interventions, and motivation are all considerations at individual level that affect maternal mortality rate. In relation to improper education, peddling of fake news, fearmongering, and spreading information for one’s gain affect a mother’s choice to access the health service.
- High Difference in Economic status - Poverty contributes to the lack of access to care, especially to high-risk women. This impedes on timely transferring to higher level care facilities, causes delays in diagnosis, treatment and response, and overall affects the access to systemic service delivery.
- Health System - Lack of budget allocation, understaffing, and poor management can affect the availability, accessibility and quality of the maternal health service, which may result in maternal deaths. Delays in receiving adequate and timely care in health facilities are big factors that contribute to wellness of mother and child. Even the negative attitudes and apprehensive treatment towards women and families are able to influence their motivation or hesitation to seek health care in the maternal context.
What are the top 3 causes of maternal mortality ratio in the Philippines? Top 3 maternal morbidity?
The top 3 causes of maternal mortality ratio in the Philippines, according to DOH (2010) are:
- Complications related to pregnancy occuring in the course of labor, delivery and puerperium (38.4%)
- Hypertension complicating pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium (35.2%)
- Postpartum hemorrhage (17.3%)
The top 3 causes of maternal morbidity in the Philippines, according to DOH (2011) are:
- Hemorrhage (31%)
- Infection (19%)
- Unsafe abortion (16%)
References:
American Public Health Association (2011). Reducing US Maternal Mortality as a Human Right. Retrieved from https://www.apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy-database/2014/07/11/15/59/reducing-us-maternal-mortality-as-a-human-right/#:~:text=Women%20living%20in%20counties%20with,living%20in%20low%2Dpoverty%20areas.
Hamal, M., Dieleman, M., De Brouwere, V. et al. Social determinants of maternal health: a scoping review of factors influencing maternal mortality and maternal health service use in India. Public Health Rev 41, 13 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40985-020-00125-6
World Health Organization (n.d.) Maternal Mortality. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality