NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 5 –The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has launched five critical targets to help countries combat preventable maternal mortality, and for tracking progress against the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicate that the global maternal deaths dropped by more than a third from 2000 to 2017. However, despite the gains, WHO estimates 810 women die daily due to complications of pregnancy and childbirth – mostly from preventable or treatable causes and complications during or after pregnancy and childbirth.
Dr Anshu Banerjee, Director for Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing at WHO said Tuesday that women and children are entitled to affordable and high-quality healthcare.
“All women and babies need access to affordable and high-quality care before, during and after pregnancy and childbirth,” said Dr Banerjee.
“These new targets will be critical for delivering an effective continuum of care for maternal and newborn health, from access to sexual and reproductive health services to those vital checks in pregnancy, as well as the often-neglected postnatal period,” Dr Banerjee said.
UNFPA estimates that the maternal mortality ratio, the number of women dying of pregnancy-related causes, stands at 488 deaths per 100,000 live births.
This ranks Kenya among the 10 most dangerous countries for a woman to give birth in the world. Limited use of skilled care, inadequate skills among health care providers and low health facility coverage are the main reasons for this high number.
The WHO expressed concern that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions to health services that have exacerbated such risks, particularly for the most vulnerable families.
The Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality (EPMM) initiative, which includes a broad coalition of partners working in maternal and newborn health, has established new coverage targets and milestones that need to be achieved by 2025 the success of SDGs.
The targets are: 90% pregnant women to attend four or more antenatal care visits (towards increasing to eight visits by 2030), 90% births to be attended by skilled health personnel, 80% women who have just given birth to access postnatal care within two days of delivery, 60% of the population to have access to emergency obstetric care within two hours of travel time and 65% of women to be able to make informed and empowered decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use, and their reproductive health.
According to WHO, most maternal deaths are concentrated in a relatively small number of countries, with two-thirds occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa. Countries with the highest burden need intensified support to ensure women and children receive the healthcare they need at this critical stage of life.
WHO provides support for delivering essential packages of high-quality maternal and newborn services, through technical guidance and support to country programs. In particular, it has developed guidelines on antenatal and intrapartum care and a policy brief on nurturing care for newborns, with guidelines on postnatal care to be published in the coming months.
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