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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?
Other than antenatal care, delivery care, and postpartum care, one of the possible causes of maternal mortality in the Philippines which is also related to the given examples is poverty. Due to poverty, many mothers do not have the chance to avail professional care because of the expenses even if they are available. In our community, I also see insufficient professionals in public hospitals in catering all mothers. Many mothers try to visit our district hospital but it is very small and only has 1 ob-gyn physician to check them all. With this, other mothers tend not to join the very long line that may lead maternal mortality if complications were left untreated and unattended. Very few mothers are financially capable to seek private medical help.
With this problem, there should be more budget for healthcare especially ob-gyn physicians in rural areas. In addition, midwives and nurses should also play their role in ensuring safety of mothers. Proper care should be provided, but with also additional assistance since there is also understaffing in health centers.
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What are the top 3 causes of maternal mortality ratio in the Philippines? Top 3 maternal morbidity?
According to the lecture, the top three causes of maternal mortality ratio in the Philippines are (1) pregnancy complications such as cardiac problems and/or infection, which account for 38 percent of maternal mortality, (2) hypertension, which accounts for 35 percent of maternal mortality, and (3) hemorrhage, which accounts for 17 percent of maternal deaths. Aside from these three, it is also vital to note that unsafe abortion accounts for 9% of maternal mortality in the nation.
The top three causes of maternal morbidity, on the other hand, are (1) hemorrhage (31%), (2) infection (19%), and (3) unsafe abortion (16%). With these figures, it is possible to conclude that maternal mortality and morbidity are caused by common variables. More particular, we must examine unsafe abortion, which endangers the lives of many pregnant women. Abortion is now banned in this nation, leaving some women with little choice except to seek treatment at illegal abortion clinics. As a result, we should make every effort to limit the likelihood of unwanted births by increasing access to family planning and contraception, as well as making this country a safer place to avoid being raped. Of course, in addition to better security measures, educating males how to respect women is critical since minimizing unplanned pregnancies means fewer abortion attempts.