In response to Making Pregnancy Safer, what are the current programs in the country to address maternal mortality and morbidity?
The National Safe Motherhood Program is committed to giving rational and responsive policy direction to local government partners in the honorable and accountable delivery of quality maternal and newborn health services using proven and innovative approaches. It aims to provide Filipino women with full access to health services towards safer pregnancy and delivery.
The Program aids in improving maternal health and well-being by
- Collaborating with Local Government Units in creating sustainable, accessible, and cost-effective approaches to delivering health services that allow disadvantaged women to utilize acceptable and high-quality maternal and newborn health services and enable them to safely give birth in nearby health facilities
- Establishing core knowledge base and support systems that facilitate the delivery of quality maternal and newborn health services in the country.
What can you suggest in order to decrease our maternal mortality and morbidity in the country?
Some necessary actions for decreasing maternal mortality and morbidity in the country include the following:
- Strengthen Health Systems – Health systems should be reinforced, with a focus on (a) making essential health infrastructures, amenities, and commodities available, (b) organizing and managing service delivery, (c) improving transparency, (d) countering corruption, (e) promoting community engagement, and (f) prioritizing respectful care norms and values, among others. Through strengthened health systems, accessible, quality healthcare is optimized by members of the community.
- Empower Women and Girls – Women and girls should be given the ability to care and choose for themselves through gender equality and empowerment that emphasizes their high value in society. They should have (a) autonomy over their health and healthcare decisions, (b) access to healthcare services and facilities as well as socioeconomic factors pertinent to health, and (c) active participation in mechanisms that influence relevant health protocols and services.
- Assign Competent and Accountable Officials – The active participation of health care leaders and policymakers is necessary for maternal mortality and morbidity reduction strategies to translate into action through enabling environments, policies, and financial commitments. Supportive legal mechanisms encompass laws and policies for upholding rights related to maternal health as well as supportive employment laws for maternity care workers. Meanwhile, supportive regulatory mechanisms allow for effective human resources management and improved maternal and infant mortality data. Finally, supportive financial mechanisms seek to accomplish universal health coverage (UHC) and sufficient funding.
References
Philippine Department of Health. (2018, October 17). National safe motherhood program. https://doh.gov.ph/national-safe-motherhood-program
World Health Organization. (2015). Strategies toward ending preventable maternal mortality (EPMM) [PDF file]. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/153540/WHO_RHR_15.03_eng.pdf