NEW DELHI – Indians are at the top in the number of maternal deaths all over the world. India and Nigeria alone constitute one third of world maternal death rate in 2010. While India holds 19 percent (56,000) of global maternal deaths and Nigeria account for 14 percent (40,000).
The report on trends in maternal mortality from 1990 to 2010 published by UN Population Fund, World Health Organization, UN Children’s Fund and the World Bank shows this trend in maternal death rate. The report states an estimated death of 287,000 women during pregnancy and child birth in 2010. 85 percent of total maternal deaths are from Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia.
As per the report, there is a worldwide decline of 47 percent in the death rate of pregnant women from 1990 as a result of improvement in health systems and increased female education. In 2010, the global Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) was 210 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births while in 1990, it was 400 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.
Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said “We know exactly what to do to prevent maternal deaths: improve access to voluntary family planning, invest in health workers with midwifery skills, and ensure access to emergency obstetric care when complications arise,” as reported by MeD India. He added “These interventions have proven to save lives.”
The report points that a woman dies in every two minutes, due to pregnancy-related complications like severe bleeding after childbirth, infections, high blood pressure during pregnancy and unsafe abortion.
Another 8 countries Democratic Republic of the Congo (15,000), Pakistan (12,000), Sudan (10,000), Indonesia (9,600), Ethiopia (9,000), Tanzania (8,500), Bangladesh (7,200) and Afghanistan (6,400) also give a major share of 40 percent to the global maternal death rates.
The development by Eastern Asia on improving health of pregnant women and new mothers has given a new hope in the reduction of maternal deaths. But the failure of sub-Saharan African countries stands as a threat to the goal of reducing 75 percent maternal deaths from 1990 to 2015.
In the opinion of Osotimehin, former health minister in Nigeria “More than 215 million women lack access to modern contraceptives.” He further says “Meeting the need for voluntary family planning for these women would not only fulfill a human right, it would also reduce the number of maternal deaths by a third. This is a highly cost-effective public health strategy.”
