Better health care needed to lower maternal mortality

Jamaica is not likely to reach the 2015 goal of lowering maternal mortality if health care does not improve for pregnant mothers.

According to Dan Baker, director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), poor health care continues to be a mitigating factor for the progress of MDG 4, which looks at reducing child mortality.

Figures from the Ministry of Health for 2009 show that there were 79 deaths to every 100,000 live births during the period.

Baker said that, while the figures are not considered alarming, reducing them by about three quarters will be a challenging task.

"It is going to take a lot because the things that UNFPA said will reduce maternal deaths are family planning, access to trained attendance at birth and access to emergency obstetrics care, and all of those indicators are good ... but what is needed is a lot of investments in providing quality health care in the health system," he disclosed.

Baker further added that Jamaica will need a new maternal health strategy that would take into account strategies that can be utilised to improve the number of deaths.

He said these strategies include increasing surveillance and bettering the quality of care that is available to pregnant women.

Among the concerns he raised, as issues affecting health care for pregnant mothers, is high migration among nurses and the lack of resources.

Greater efficiency

However, he said greater efficiency in the health sector could better the system.

"There is not going to be a lot more resources coming our way. The systems need to be made efficient," he said. "It is not enough to just scream that we don't have enough resources. That is going to be a reality for the next five years."

Additionally, Baker explained that there are policies and strategies that are yet to be signed off on, which could give support to lowering the rate.

"There has been enormous improvement in the quality of health care that women are getting at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital, but it has to be throughout the island. Every women has to have the same access and the same quality health care," he said.

Baker also highlighted the deficiency that exists in tracking mothers after they give birth.

"Women who give birth, they are ok in the hospital, they go home and they do not have the access to care, then three months they come down with something, they go back to the hospital when it is too late, so they die," he lamented.

He said using the few resources available to better domiciliary care is essential to reaching the 2015 target.

Indirect causes

Dr Ernest Pate, resident representative for Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO)/World Health Organisation (WHO), disclosed that indirect causes for maternal mortality, such as chronic illnesses, has increase by as much as 80 per cent.

He said more emphasis needed to be placed on controlling illnesses which could cause complications during delivery.

"We are doing the delivery and we are doing well but the follow up of care, the integration of care in our services is atrocious," Pate noted.

He called for an integration of family care which would see persons making fewer visits to health facilities and still getting their illnesses checked.

Pate said making several visits for specific complaints put excessive strain on persons, resulting in more individuals neglecting their health, which could be a contributing factor to birth mortality.