1. Other than the factors discussed in the lecture, what do you think are other factors affecting the maternal mortality rate in the Philippines?
Regional Disparity
Maternal mortality is a mirror of a woman’s health and nutritional status during pregnancy, at childbirth, or in the period after childbirth. It also highlights her access to professional medical services before, during, and even after childbirth. Medical assistance is important for pregnant women for it reduces complications and provides vital information about changes in the body that could put the pregnancy or the health at risk.
Maternal deaths in most developing countries such as the Philippines occur due to the limited access to safe motherhood services in rural areas compared to urban areas. This issue is significant for the Philippines since more than half of its population (53%) lives in rural areas. Moreover, Rural access ratings range from a low of 40 for treatment for obstructed labor to a high of 79 for antenatal care, which is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in the Philippines according to the Department of Health (DOH). This data suggests that there is a need to improve access to a variety of services in rural areas
Insufficient training in maternal delivery and care
Skilled care provides life-saving care for women during childbirth. The education and training of health professionals is an integral part of providing high-quality care and preventing maternal death and disability. The medical curricula in the Philippines include hands-on training in obstetric care. However, actual training received lower ratings, particularly about training for new midwives and nurses and in-service training for newly hired doctors. Evidence shows that unskilled delivery dramatically increases the risk of maternal and perinatal death
Limited access to contraceptives
From 2006 to 2014, the rate of contraceptive use has not increased. The limited access to contraceptives poses indirect negative effects on maternal mortality. In the Philippines, it was estimated that there were three million pregnancies just in 2006, and half of the attributes were to unwanted or unplanned pregnancies. A higher rate of contraceptive use will prevent this from happening and will consequently decrease the maternal mortality rate.
2. What are the top 3 causes of maternal mortality ratio in the Philippines? Top 3 maternal morbidity?
Top 3 causes of Maternal Mortality
1. Complications related to pregnancy occurring in the course of labor, delivery, and the puerperium (38%)
2. Hypertension complicating pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium (35%)
3. Postpartum hemorrhage (17%)
Top 3 Maternal Morbidity
1. Hemorrhage (31%)
2. Infection (19%)
3. Abortion (16%)
References:
Baccay, K.B. (2022). Prenatal Care and Safe Motherhood Lecture Video PART I. VLE. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SXIWQpPevbtDjGVAOOlWiDtyE9CqJskQ/view
Department of Health. (2018). The 2018 Philippine Health Statistics: Bureau of Epidemiology Department of Health. https://doh.gov.ph/sites/default/files/publications/2018%20Philippine%20Health%20Statistics.pdf
Philippines Maternal and Neonatal Program Effort Index. http://www.policyproject.com/pubs/MNPI/Philippines_MNPI.pdf
United Nations Population Fund. (2009, April 7). Philippines: Maternal Mortality Rates Not Making Sufficient Progress to Meet MDGs. Retrieved March 18, 2022, from https://www.unfpa.org/news/philippines-maternal-mortality-rates-not-making-sufficient-progress-meet-mdgs