- Other than the factors discussed in the lecture, what do you think are other factors affecting maternal mortality rate in the Philippines?
A primary factor I can think of is education and along with it, the sociocultural environment in the Philippines. Most parents don't talk to their child about sexual matters, likely thanks to the heavy Christian influence on most of the Philippines that looks down on sexual matters as sinful and dirty. As a result, many adolescents come of age without fully understanding what they should and shouldn't do, hence the increase of early pregnancies in the Philippines reaching 62,510 recorded minors giving birth (National Nutrition Council, 2021), placing them at risk for complications as their bodies are not yet fully developed for childbearing. Sources regarding such topics would likely come from friends, online, or through social media and not fully understanding it until they experience it at an early age.
With this, proper education can reduce early pregnancies and inform those with early pregnancies where to go and how to deal with their new situation. This way, maternal mortality due to lack of antenatal care from lack of information can be reduced but a significant part of it is still in part due to sociocultural influence shunning early pregnancies and women having sexual experience early, hence why women hide the fact until it is too late for adequate antenatal care. To add to this, economic capabilities play another significant role and this can be related to quality and level of education that the population can receive. As such, sociocultural, economic, and educational factors, though quite broad, are other contributing factors, especially education, that affects the pregnant mother's knowledge and ability to prepare and provide antenatal care to themselves. - What are the top 3 causes of maternal mortality ratio in the Philippines? Top 3 maternal morbidity?
The top 3 causes of maternal mortality in the Philippines from a 2019 statistic were (1) Eclampsia, (2) Gestational induced hypertension with significant proteinuria, and (3) Other maternal diseases complicating pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium, and in the lecture, the leading causes were (1) Complications related to pregnancy, (2) Hemorrhage, and (3) Hypertension while leading causes of morbidity were (1) Postpartum Hemorrhage, (2) Infection, and (3) Unsafe Abortion.
References:
Department of Health. (2020). The 2019 philippine health statistics. Retrieved from https://doh.gov.ph/sites/default/files/publications/2019PHS_Final_092121.pdf
National Nutrition Council (2021, March 22). Negative impacts of teenage pregnancy in the philippines. Retrieved from https://nnc.gov.ph/regional-offices/mindanao/region-ix-zamboanga-peninsula/4931-negative-impacts-of-teenage-pregnancy-in-the-philippines
Save the Children. (n.d.). WATCH: Parents, do you talk about teenage pregnancy with your teens? Retrieved from https://www.savethechildren.org.ph/our-work/our-stories/story/watch-parents-do-you-talk-about-teenage-pregnancy-with-your-teens/?msclkid=2b3b2c63addb11ecad48c237589b091a