MDG 4 IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH Abas Labad Prieto

MDG 4: IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH Abas, Labad, Prieto & Remoquillo

What is Maternal Health? According to WHO, it is the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period

Targets of the MDG #5 Reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio. Achieve the universal access to reproductive health.

Indicators 5. A. Reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio. � Maternal Mortality � Proportion of Skilled attendants to live birth 5. B. Achieve the universal access to reproductive health � Contraceptive Prevalence Rate � Unmet need for family planning

5. 1. Maternal Mortality

5. 1. Maternal Mortality

5. 1. Maternal Mortality In the Philippines, progress is very slow. Not likely to reach the goal of 62 by 2015. The Slow progress is due to the lack of skilled birth attendants especially in the rural areas.

5. 2 Proportion of Skilled Attendants to Live Birth The number of birth attendants in the Philippines has risen over the years. There was a ratio of 58. 8 skilled attendants to live birth in 1990, and in 2008, it rose 74. 0.

5. 3 Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

5. 3 Contraceptive Prevalence Rate It is not likely for the Philippines to reach its goal for this indicator. The Philippines has a low contraceptive prevalence rate. Due to government’s lack of policy and programs to promote the use of contraception 63% of births are planned. 20% of births are mistimed. 16% are unwanted.

5. 4 Unmet need for Family Planning

5. 4 Unmet need for Family Planning According to NSO, it is unlikely that the Philippines will reach this indicator by 2015.

Solutions from the government The Department of Health has proposed strategies to reach the 52 deaths by 2015: � Encourage women to give birth in health facilities such as hospitals with the proper tools available. � Public Health facilities for women shouldn’t be available in only one place. LGUs should have a public health facility for giving birth. Based on statistics, 78% of women in urban areas are attended by skilled attendants and only 48% of women in rural areas receive this kind of care.

Solutions from the government � More skilled attendants should be hired. The Philippine Obstetrical & Gynaecological launched a training program on Maternal and Immediate Newborn Care for Midwives. This program may raise the probability in achieving this indicator by 2015. � Women of reproductive age should have access to reproductive health/ family planning.

Analysis The only way our country can decrease maternal mortality is if we have more skilled workers, but until then, we will never be able to reach our goal. Thousands of Filipino women continue to die due to complications related to childbirth; according to health specialists, 230 women from the Philippines die every 100, 000 live births, which show a big increase from the rate of maternal mortality in 2006.

Analysis Only 60% of births in the Philippines are supervised by skilled attendants who have received proper education.