Making Pregnancy Safer

Making Pregnancy Safer

Making Pregnancy Safer

by Anne Maegan Ayala -
Number of replies: 0
  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
      • The program aims to improve women’s health and wellbeing by (1) collaborating with LGUs in establishing sustainable, cost-effective and high quality maternal and newborn health service delivery to disadvantaged women, and enable them to give birth safely in health facilities near their homes; and (2) establishing core knowledge base and support systems for the facilitation of the delivery of quality maternal and newborn health services.
      • Program components include (A) local delivery of maternal-newborn service package and (B) national capacity to sustain maternal-newborn services
    • FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM
      • The program aims to increase modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (mCPR) among all women from 24.9% in 2017 to 30% by 2022, and to reduce the unmet need for modern family planning from 10.8% in 2017 to 8% by 2022.
      • Program components include (A) provision of free medically safe, legal, non-abortifacient, effective and culturally accepted family planning commodities, and (B) demand generation of family planning commodities through community-based management information system, (C) family planning in hospitals and other health facilities, and (D) financial security in family planning.
  2. What can you suggest in order to decrease our maternal mortality and morbidity in the country? Give at least 3 suggestions.

    • Provide access to contraception and safe abortions.

      • We need to ensure that all women have access to a range of contraceptive options so unwanted pregnancies can be prevented. Maternal mortality due to unsafe abortion can also be decreased if these mothers have the option for safe services to end unintended pregnancies.

    • Target the most marginalized sectors.

      • While there has been a decrease in maternal mortality and morbidity compared to past generations, this benefit is likely mostly for women from middle and upper classes of society. The most marginalized women are still unable to access maternal health services due to barriers in care (e.g., geographic distance, economic barriers, insufficient education regarding importance of maternal health services). We have to ensure that the resources are targeted towards women in crisis and extreme poverty.

    • Mandate sex and health rights education among adolescents, especially women.

      Knowledge allows for empowerment of women, seeing as with sufficient knowledge, they will be able to know where and when to access maternal healthcare, and would know their rights should they be denied care of have their rights violated in any way. With this mandate, they will not need to look to unreliable sources of information, which may be wrong or downright harmful to their health. It will also be helpful for them to know various contraceptive and family planning methods, as well as dispel wrong beliefs regarding sex and healthcare.

REFERENCES

DOH. (2017). NATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM. https://doh.gov.ph/family-planning

DOH. (2018). NATIONAL SAFE MOTHERHOOD PROGRAM. https://doh.gov.ph/national-safe-motherhood-program