‘Saving Mothers’: K-P govt takes steps to reduce maternal mortality rate
Includes hemorrhage medicine to essential drug list.
Around 65% of the births in Pakistan occur at homes, of which 85% are in rural areas. PHOTO: AFP
PESHAWAR:
In a bid to reduce the maternal mortality ratio as envisioned under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, the provincial health department has included ‘Misoprostol’ in the essential drug list.
Misoprostol is used to prevent excessive bleeding during labour, and officials estimate 70% of the complications during birth can be reduced by administering the drug to expecting mothers.
Addressing a seminar titled ‘Saving Mothers in Communities’, the session’s project coordinator Hafeezullah said the government is trying to bring the maternal mortality rate down to 141 in 100,000 from the current 276 by the year 2015.
He said the project was aimed at addressing complications caused by post-partum hemorrhage (excessive bleeding during labour), which according to him is one of the most vulnerable complications for a mother.
K-P Director General Health Dr Sharif Ahmad Khan said the death of mothers during pregnancy is a concern of every stakeholder, including the government, NGOs and medical practitioners.
“We will try our best to bring down the ratio to achieve our MDG and the inclusion of this new medicine will help us reach it,” said Dr Khan, adding that Lady Health Workers, community midwives, lady health visitors and other people practicing medicine would be educated about Misoprostol.
According to gynaecologist Dr Lubna Hassan, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended Misoprostol as it is cheaper and easier to use than other medicines.
The seminar is part of an awareness campaign of committees and technical working groups. The campaign consists of 22 members headed by K-P and Fata health department directors, while the technical working group consists of gynaecologists.
According to data presented during the seminar, nearly five million women become pregnant in Pakistan every year. Around 65% of these births occur at homes, of which 85% are in rural areas. Around 15% of all pregnant women are likely to experience some obstetrical and medical complications while 20% of adult female deaths are attributed to maternal causes.
In Pakistan, Maternal Mortality (MM) Rate per 100,000 presently stands at 319 in rural areas and 175 in urban areas. According to the break-up, the rate in Balochistan is 785, Fata 380, Sindh 314, K-P 275, Punjab 227 and Azad Jammu Kashmir 201.
“One mother dies every 20 minutes indicating that three mothers die every hour, while 350,000 mothers annually bear the burden of maternal ill health and disability,” read one of the statistics presented during the presentation.
At 75%, deliveries conducted by untrained birth attendants were noted as the prime reason for deaths during delivery.
Some of the other causes of maternal mortality include sever bleeding, indirect causes such as anemia, malaria and heart diseases, other direct causes such as anaesthesia related, obstructed labour, infection, unsafe abortion and convulsions.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 11th, 2013.
In a bid to reduce the maternal mortality ratio as envisioned under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, the provincial health department has included ‘Misoprostol’ in the essential drug list.
Misoprostol is used to prevent excessive bleeding during labour, and officials estimate 70% of the complications during birth can be reduced by administering the drug to expecting mothers.
Addressing a seminar titled ‘Saving Mothers in Communities’, the session’s project coordinator Hafeezullah said the government is trying to bring the maternal mortality rate down to 141 in 100,000 from the current 276 by the year 2015.
He said the project was aimed at addressing complications caused by post-partum hemorrhage (excessive bleeding during labour), which according to him is one of the most vulnerable complications for a mother.
K-P Director General Health Dr Sharif Ahmad Khan said the death of mothers during pregnancy is a concern of every stakeholder, including the government, NGOs and medical practitioners.
“We will try our best to bring down the ratio to achieve our MDG and the inclusion of this new medicine will help us reach it,” said Dr Khan, adding that Lady Health Workers, community midwives, lady health visitors and other people practicing medicine would be educated about Misoprostol.
According to gynaecologist Dr Lubna Hassan, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended Misoprostol as it is cheaper and easier to use than other medicines.
The seminar is part of an awareness campaign of committees and technical working groups. The campaign consists of 22 members headed by K-P and Fata health department directors, while the technical working group consists of gynaecologists.
According to data presented during the seminar, nearly five million women become pregnant in Pakistan every year. Around 65% of these births occur at homes, of which 85% are in rural areas. Around 15% of all pregnant women are likely to experience some obstetrical and medical complications while 20% of adult female deaths are attributed to maternal causes.
In Pakistan, Maternal Mortality (MM) Rate per 100,000 presently stands at 319 in rural areas and 175 in urban areas. According to the break-up, the rate in Balochistan is 785, Fata 380, Sindh 314, K-P 275, Punjab 227 and Azad Jammu Kashmir 201.
“One mother dies every 20 minutes indicating that three mothers die every hour, while 350,000 mothers annually bear the burden of maternal ill health and disability,” read one of the statistics presented during the presentation.
At 75%, deliveries conducted by untrained birth attendants were noted as the prime reason for deaths during delivery.
Some of the other causes of maternal mortality include sever bleeding, indirect causes such as anemia, malaria and heart diseases, other direct causes such as anaesthesia related, obstructed labour, infection, unsafe abortion and convulsions.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 11th, 2013.