1. Other than the factors discussed in the lecture, what do you think are other factors affecting maternal mortality rate in the Philippines?
2. What are the top 3 causes of maternal mortality ratio in the Philippines? Top 3 maternal morbidity?
1. In the context of the Philippines, the Maternal and Neonatal Program Effort Index attributes maternal mortality to the following causes: hemorrhage, infection, unsafe abortion, hypertension, obstructed labor, ectopic pregnancy, embolism, and anesthesia-related risks. Given these primary causes, it can be said that aside from lack of access to antenatal care, proper delivery care, and postpartum care, a lack of appropriate medical resources or health facilities is a notable factor considering that many of these causes and even the aforementioned factors often arise from having no accessible services or facilities for anticipating or treating these conditions. Another relevant factor may also be the immediate environment or conditions that the pregnancy is exposed to as these may be direct sources (as may be the case with infection), or contributing factors.
2. In the Philippines, the top 3 causes of maternal mortality ratio are: 1) Complications surrounding labor, delivery, and the puerperium period, 2) Pregnancy-related hypertension, and 3) Postpartum hemorrhage or bleeding. As for the top 3 causes for maternal morbidity, these are: 1) Hemorrhage, 2) Infection, and 3) Unsafe abortions.