In the Philippines, Giving Birth Kills: Maternal Mortality in the Philippines
Summary
TLDRThe video script addresses the alarming maternal mortality rates in the Philippines, highlighting the stark contrast with countries like Canada. It emphasizes the preventable nature of these deaths and the role of traditional birth attendants, or 'helots', in this silent epidemic. The script calls for improved access to skilled birth attendance, better prenatal care, and the importance of the reproductive health bill in reducing maternal mortality. It underscores the need for a collective effort from government, NGOs, and society to ensure safe pregnancies and childbirths, advocating for a healthy population as a foundation for national development.
Takeaways
- π Maternal and child health is a global measure of a country's health system efficiency.
- π The scale of maternal mortality is high but not well-known; it's considered a silent epidemic.
- π In 2008, the Philippines had a higher maternal mortality ratio compared to Canada, with 11 Filipino mothers dying daily.
- π€° Complications during pregnancy can be fatal, with the World Health Organization identifying five main causes of maternal mortality.
- π Most maternal deaths are preventable, and the United Nations aims to improve maternal health through skilled care during pregnancy and childbirth.
- πΆ In the Philippines, about 36.4% of pregnant women receive assistance from traditional birth attendants, known as 'helots'.
- π The lack of training for helots can lead to inadequate care and increased maternal mortality risks.
- π₯ Access to healthcare is a significant issue, with various barriers such as lack of permission, money, and transportation.
- π The three delays model in maternal health includes decision-making delays, accessibility and transport delays, and delays in the provision of appropriate care.
- ποΈ Initiatives like the MNCHN strategy and local campaigns aim to reduce maternal mortality by improving access to skilled birth attendance and healthcare facilities.
- π± The reproductive health bill, if passed, would provide a comprehensive health care program to improve maternal health, including family planning and education.
Q & A
What is considered a measure of the efficiency of a country's health system?
-Maternal and child health is considered a measure of the efficiency of a country's health system.
Why is the high maternal mortality rate not well known despite its scale?
-The high maternal mortality rate is not well known because it is often overshadowed by other diseases and lacks public and policy maker awareness.
According to the United Nations Children's Fund, how many Filipino mothers die daily due to pregnancy and childbirth complications?
-According to UNICEF, 11 Filipino mothers die every day due to complications related to pregnancy and childbirth.
What is the maternal mortality ratio in the Philippines in 2008, and how does it compare to Canada's?
-In 2008, the maternal mortality ratio in the Philippines ranges from 94 to 160 deaths per 100,000 live births, which is significantly higher than Canada's ratio of 12 per 100,000.
What are the five natural causes of maternal mortality as identified by the World Health Organization?
-The five natural causes of maternal mortality are hemorrhage (25%), infection (15%), unsafe abortion (13.3%), eclampsia (12%), and obstructed labor (8%).
What is the United Nations Millennium Development Goal five aiming to achieve?
-UN Millennium Development Goal five aims to improve maternal health through access to skilled care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the first month after delivery.
What is a traditional birth attendant (helot) in the Philippines?
-A traditional birth attendant (helot) is a person who assists mothers during childbirth, having initially acquired skills through self-teaching, observation, or apprenticeship.
Why do women still choose to have their babies delivered by helots despite the risks?
-Women may choose helots due to cultural and financial reasons, as well as the personal care provided by helots, which may not be as personalized with professional midwives.
What are the three levels of delay in the Thaddeus and Maine's framework model of maternal mortality?
-The three levels of delay are decision-making at the community level, accessibility and transport to a health facility, and the availability and quality of appropriate care.
What is the MNCHN strategy implemented by the Department of Health in the Philippines?
-The MNCHN (Maternal, Neonatal, Child Health, and Nutrition) strategy aims to improve maternal health by organizing a service delivery network at the community level, basic emergency obstetrics and newborn care, and comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care.
What is the significance of the reproductive health bill in improving maternal health in the Philippines?
-The reproductive health bill, if passed, would provide an integrated health care program that includes family planning, maternal and infant health services, and other measures to significantly improve maternal health in the country.
Outlines
π€° Maternal Mortality: A Silent Epidemic
The first paragraph addresses the critical issue of maternal mortality, highlighting the significant number of deaths among women due to pregnancy and childbirth complications. It emphasizes the lack of public awareness and the disparity in maternal mortality rates between the Philippines and Canada. The World Health Organization's identification of the five main causes of maternal mortality is noted, along with UNICEF's assertion that most of these deaths could be prevented. The paragraph also touches on the traditional practice of 'helots' or birth attendants in the Philippines and the government's efforts to train them to improve maternal health outcomes.
π₯ Cultural and Logistical Barriers to Maternal Care
This paragraph delves into the cultural and logistical challenges faced by pregnant women in accessing skilled birth attendance. It discusses the preference for traditional birth attendants, known as 'helots,' over professional midwives due to cultural familiarity and financial constraints. The paragraph also outlines the 'three delays' model, which identifies the delays in decision-making, accessibility and transport, and the availability and quality of care as contributing factors to maternal mortality. Initiatives to address these issues are mentioned, including the Department of Health's efforts to improve maternal health through better coordination and training.
π Initiatives to Reduce Maternal Mortality
The third paragraph focuses on various initiatives aimed at reducing maternal mortality rates. It describes the implementation of the integrated Maternal Neonatal and Child Health and Nutrition (MN CHN) strategy by the Department of Health, which organizes a service delivery network at the community, basic emergency, and comprehensive emergency levels. The paragraph also highlights a local government's campaign for maternal care, including the establishment of a database for pregnant women, the use of cell phones for medical advice, and the availability of ambulance services. Additionally, it mentions the construction of birthing facilities through public-private partnerships.
π Policy and Advocacy for Maternal Health
This paragraph discusses policy and advocacy efforts to improve maternal health in the Philippines. It details a municipal ordinance regulating the practices of trained birth attendants and health workers, as well as the involvement of non-government organizations in promoting safe motherhood. The push for the passage of the reproductive Health Bill, which has been in Congress for 16 years, is emphasized, outlining its potential to provide a comprehensive health care program covering family planning, maternal and child health, and other reproductive health services.
π The Importance of a Holistic Approach to Maternal Health
The fifth paragraph underscores the need for a comprehensive approach to maternal health, involving cooperation among different sectors and the prioritization of health services. It stresses the importance of education, informing people of their rights to health, and the government's role in addressing maternal health as a top priority. The paragraph also mentions the universal healthcare approach and the importance of starting health services from the local level, emphasizing the need for political will and coordination among various health levels. The role of health workers and the necessity of providing necessary health services, including reproductive health, are also highlighted.
π The Human Cost of Maternal Mortality
The final paragraph reflects on the human cost of maternal mortality, arguing that it is not just a measure of a country's health system efficiency but also a reflection of a society's values towards women. It calls for a just and humane society that does not let mothers die in childbirth and emphasizes the importance of a healthy population for national development. The paragraph concludes with a call to action to invest in social services like education and health to build a strong foundation for the country's future.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Maternal Mortality
π‘Maternal Health
π‘Pregnancy Complications
π‘Skilled Birth Attendance
π‘Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs)
π‘Maternal Mortality Ratio
π‘Preventable Maternal Deaths
π‘Healthcare Access
π‘Reproductive Health Bill
π‘Healthcare Coordination
π‘Community-Level Services
Highlights
Maternal and child health is a measure of the efficiency of a country's health system.
11 Filipino mothers die every day due to complications related to pregnancy and childbirth.
The maternal mortality ratio in the Philippines in 2008 ranged from 94 to 160 deaths per 100,000 live births.
In contrast, the maternal mortality ratio in Canada in 2008 was only 12 per 100,000 live births.
There is a significant lack of public awareness about maternal mortality, which is considered a silent epidemic.
25% of pregnant women die of hemorrhage, 15% of infection, 13% of unsafe abortion, 12% of eclampsia, and 8% due to obstructed labor.
Most maternal deaths could be avoided, according to UNICEF.
36.4% of pregnant women in the Philippines receive assistance from traditional birth attendants, known as helots.
The Department of Health has been training helots since 1974 to make them competent birth attendants.
Training helots has sometimes created a false sense of confidence, leading to complications not being referred to professional healthcare providers.
UNICEF identifies the use of helots as a major factor in maternal death.
Many women choose helots due to cultural preferences and financial constraints.
Accessing healthcare is hindered by issues such as getting permission for treatment, transportation, and the availability of female healthcare providers.
The 2008 Philippine national demographic and health survey highlights various barriers to accessing healthcare.
The Department of Health released administrative order 2008-0029 to implement the integrated maternal, neonatal, and child health and nutrition (MNCHN) strategy to reduce maternal mortality.
Mayor Leo Vildo Basmayor launched the Project Mama initiative to assist pregnant women from pregnancy awareness to delivery.
Non-government organizations are pushing for the passage of the reproductive health bill to improve maternal health.
Undersecretary Herbosa calls for cooperation among different sectors to improve maternal health.
Universal healthcare initiatives aim to provide free or minimal cost healthcare to all people.
Investing in maternal and child health is essential for national development and creating a healthy workforce.
Maternal health reflects the worth of women in society and is crucial for a country's future.
Transcripts
maternal and child health has been a
measure of how efficient the health
system of any country works that's the I
think the tragedy that it's such a big
scale of death but uh it's not very well
known if you die from a disease it is
understandable you were saying pregnancy
is that the disease and how come women
are dying from
it we always want the pregnancy to
culminate in a healthy baby and a
healthy mother
[Music]
right according to the United Nations
Children's Fund 11 Filipino mothers die
every day due to complications related
to pregnancy and child birth maternal
mortality ratio in the Philippines in
2008 ranges from a low of 94 to a high
of 160 deaths in every 100,000 live
births this is high compared to the
maternal mortality ratio in Canada in
the same year which is only 12 per
100,000 there's a lot of uh lack of U
understanding about the problem because
people worry here about the Deni
hemorrhagic fever right now which kills
300 not knowing that the the death rates
for women who die of preventable
maternal uh deaths are are are really
great and it's not the rates are not
coming down and it's a silent uh
epidemic actually that uh has not
figured into the consciousness of the
public and uh especially of policy
makers so so that's the uh that's the I
think the tragedy that it's such a big
scale of death but uh it's not very well
known they were saying it is not a
disease you have not you don't have to
treat it but it is the only condition
that is not a disease and yet women are
dying from
it okay if you die from a disease it is
understandable you were saying pregnancy
is at the disease and how come women are
dying from
it mothers May develop complications
during pregnancy that could lead to
their death the World Health
Organization identified five natural
causes of maternal mortality 25% of
pregnant women die of hemorrhage 15% of
infection 133% of unsafe abortion 12% of
eclampsia and 8% due to obstructed labor
however UNICEF explains that most
maternal deaths could be avoided United
Nations Millennium Development Goal five
aims to improve maternal Health through
access to Skilled care during pregnancy
child birth and a first month after
delivery to save the lives of both the
mother and the child in the Philippines
about 36.4% of pregnant women receive
assistance from the helots helots are
traditional birth
attendants the Department of Health
defines traditional birth attendant as a
person who assist mothers during child
birth and who initially acquired her
skills by delivering babies by self or
through observation or apprenticeship
with other helots the practices of
helots are naturally passed on in the
family the Department of Health has been
providing intensive training since 1974
to make he's competent birth attendance
one of those who received training was
Leonor
[Music]
Vel
1976 we actually in the past tried to
teach the uh traditional birth
attendance in the H with some skills but
the experience of that was not very
ideal in fact it it created a syndrome
we called little knowledge is dangerous
the more the complicated deliveries were
not being referred because as we
imparted a lot of knowledge to them it
also created them a false sense of uh
confidence and the one at risk is
actually the mother the lack of the
heal's training may be manifested in
their varying
practices
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[Applause]
koasas
foral
Al
these practices are often opposed by the
skilled birth
attendance
[Applause]
Terin
4 cm 2
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dilated
technique
[Music]
and repair number one the control the
infection they are not trained for that
they're not trained to do um minor
surgery like otomies and everything so I
think it's they are not trained to to do
um IV therapy for example because in in
in child birth there's a lot of
hemorrhages in uh there are a lot of um
it is a very Bloody Business right
giving birth so they're not trained so
they do not they cannot give emergency
measures to the
patient UNICEF identifies the pregnant
women subscription to the hilot as a
major factor in maternal death the
United Nations sees the successful child
births can be achieved more with the
help of skilled birth attendance but why
do women still gamble in choosing helots
to deliver their babies poor women uh
culturally financially
they will deliver with a with a
attendant that they are most comfortable
with and there's the cultural difference
is that the traditional birth attendants
are actually very personal in their care
the professional Midwife does not have
that
[Applause]
personalized
nip
taga
Kam
there are more and the Midwife so um the
cultural the norm is to go to the hot
first before going to the midwe the 2008
Philippine national demographic and
health survey by the national Statistics
Office points to the different problems
in accessing Healthcare among these are
getting permission to go for treatment
getting money for treatment the
assistance of Health Facilities having
to take transport not wanting to go
alone having no female provider
available having no provider available
and having no drugs available the survey
shows that choosing the healers is not a
direct cause of maternal mortality but
these problems in accessing Health Care
May influence the pregnant women's
choice of a birth attendant seeking care
from the healers they have risks in the
mother's pregnancy these risks are
referred to in the and Main's framework
model of three level LS of delay the
first level of delay is in a decision-
making at the community level ignorance
on the part of the patient no they were
not they not having any prenatal care at
all they may be having a watery
discharge for one week maybe bleeding
for a long period of time only at the
time that the condition become uh
irreversible that's the only time they
will go to the hospital so how how how
how good a doctor you may be
you will not be able to reverse the
condition the second delay is in the
accessibility and transport to a health
facility and the options for
communication second that can also be
because the health facilities are quite
far from them you know and it's not
unusual uh for our people to live hours
away from the nearest hospital you know
some even have to ride boats to be able
to go to to to to the nearest clinic or
or Hospital the third delay is in the
availability and quality of appropriate
care and the third if they do get to
reach a hospital but unfortunately not
all our hospitals are fully equipped so
some of our hospitals the anesthesiology
is not available they have no anesthesia
machine so that they need to do
emergency intervention but the emergency
intervention is again delayed the delay
in the decision to seek care delaying
the arrival at the health facility And
Delay the provision of appropriate care
are all interconnected and may occur all
at the same time all of this as you can
see is a
Continuum and some of them are entirely
preventable because if you if the mother
gets good prenatal care you can actually
identify already who should be giving
birth in a hospital and who who should
be given in less safe condition so you
second delivery normal without any
complications initiatives are being done
to address the three levels of delay to
reduce maternal mortality in 2008 the
Department of Health released
administrative order
2008-2 n to implement the integrated
maternal neonatal and child health and
nutrition or MN chn strategy the 2008
0029 administrative order is really all
about improving maternal mortal through
a strategy the goal of the administra
order is to significantly lower maternal
mortality the MN chn Service delivery
Network shall be organized as
follows number one is the community
level service
providers they are the health workers
tasked to give primary healthc care
services including the campaign for
proper birth spacing complete required
antenatal care visits Aid in the shift
to facility based birth assisted by
professional attendance postpartum and
postnatal care and assistance in other
health packages for women and
children this also limits the role of
the heot to assisting the professional
attendants and health
workers number two is the basic
emergency Obstetrics and newborn care or
bamun the bong facility is comprised a
core District Hospital or similar
facilities capable of Performing the
obstetric functions neonatal emergency
care and blood transfusions number three
is the comprehensive emergency obstetric
and newborn care or
seon the seon facilities are and
referral public and private facilities
capable of managing complicated
deliveries including the same functions
as the Bon cesarian section and other
highly specialized obstetric
services in the municipality of minaba
kamarin Mayor Leo vildo basmayor has
launched a strong campaign for maternal
care one of his initiatives is the
project maternal assistance monitoring
activity or project Mama Our intention
is uh to identify every household that
has got pregnant women and this is done
by uh by a maximum cooperation between
uh bangi leaders our health
workers and uh uh our bangai officials
the intention is uh to come up with a um
a
database uh so we can uh assist all of
them uh from the time they are are aware
that they are pregnant up to the time
that they will
deliver uh also we have uh try to
institutionalize one uh program like uh
uh giving um uh medical advice to uh uh
pregnant women via cell phone so they
can uh text us uh for whatever problem
that uh they are encountering while uh
uh
they are waiting for the delivery they
can they can call us or we can call them
uh we always make our ambulance uh
available so we can pick them up any
time uh there need to bring them to the
hospital mayor M Mayo's other initiative
is ordinance number 121
d201 regulating the practices of trained
birth attendance and all health workers
on Safe Motherhood or maternal and Child
Health Care
Program
as far as uh the municipal ordinance is
concerned um if they bring uh pregnant
women in our facilities uh they will be
given a second amount uh part of their
share if they help if they help they
will just be assisting Our Midwives and
uh and the part of the money that uh we
will uh collect will be returned to the
uh hos the local government unit in
minaba also tap resources of private
corporations in building lying in and
birthing
facilities two birthing facilities have
already been constructed in the
municipality by theik
Foundation another one would be built by
the end of 2011 from fiser Park Davis so
there are two birthing facilities now
and um uh with this new one from uh
fiser I think the the building will be a
lot better A lot bigger uh to
accommodate uh more patients so we are
we are putting in a facility beside the
rural health unit um this facility is
for natural birth and this is under
partnership with the Department of
Health and participating local
government units the main purpose of
this is uh to provide an alternative
because despite an administrative order
Banning a a homebased delivery there's
still a lot of people in fact in 2009 um
statistics would dictate that uh 60% of
women gave birth in their houses so we
want to lessen that so we would want
them to just go into the facility and
under Trin uh birth attendance so that's
the whole project there um when you look
at it 2015 is uh is uh is so near so
that's why we created the facility out
of shipping containers which can be done
in 2 weeks time so we knew that we
wanted to put up something fast
something that works and something
that's easily replicable in
record-breaking time because the window
is closing in and we we need to and part
of that is we believe that the
facilities would play a vital role in
terms of uh curving maternal
Health similar to project mama is the
reproductive Health Sentinels by lean an
organization advocating the health and
rights of disadvantaged women and their
communities their job they're actually
leaders in the
community who uh whose uh tasks
involve involve or include uh watching
over women with
pregnancies and making sure that the
women who deliver with complications are
brought to the
fastest uh facility available
non-government organizations also push
for the passage of the reproductive
Health Bill to significantly improve
maternal Health in the country the bill
has been languishing in the Philippine
Congress for the past 16 years it is
only now that it is getting a fair
chance of becoming law reproductive
Health uh it requires a series of interl
uh
elements uh to ensure that every woman
can can have a safe uh reproductive life
and every F not just every woman every
man woman and even children can have
safe uh lives when it comes to the area
of reproduction the reproductive health
or RH bill shall provide an integrated
healthc CARE program that includes the
following Family Planning information
and services maternal infant and child
health and nutrition including
breastfeeding
prescription of abortion and management
of abortion
complications Adolescent and youth
reproductive Health prevention and
management of reproductive tract
infections HIV and AIDS and other
sexually transmittable
infections elimination of violence
against women education and counseling
on sexuality and reproductive health
treatment of breast and reproductive
tract cancers and other gynecological
conditions and
disorders male responsibility and
participation in reproductive Health
prevention and treatment of infertility
and sexual
dysfunction reproductive health
education for the
adolescents and the mental health aspect
of reproductive Health Care conscious
efforts are being made to reduce
maternal mortality but there is still a
lot to be done under secretary herbosa
calls for cooperation among the
different sectors and a gold improve
maternal Health none of us want our
mothers to die giving birth is there
anyone out there from the NGO the
government or the other sectors who want
mothers to die uh while giving birth
none the key is to act accordingly
there's a lot of things to be done like
uh uh educating our people informing our
people that these are their rights
health is a basic right of our people
and uh government must must also show uh
some honest efforts in addressing this
problem it should be among the top
priorities that is tighter coordination
of health services at the national the
regional the provincial and the local he
Health level so that that will take a
great deal of political will there are
uh initial steps to this uh there is uh
an
initiative both uh NGO and government
now which is called the universal
healthcare uh
approach we cannot do this alone in fact
it is imperative that the the uh
Health the health uh health facilities
and services should start from the
bottom it should start from the
municipality we have to work with the
government with the politicians we have
to have a really nice health care we
have to reduce the
population I think it's not just on the
health side or maternity maternity side
it has to go with the economic ution
also as health workers we will take care
of whatever is task to us but the others
the rest I hope would do their part in
alleviating the situation of this people
the thing to do is to make pregnancies
and child birth safe the question of
course is how and the answer is uh uh by
providing the services that are
necessary
to make the pregnancies and uh child
births safe if we say that 80% are
because of complications that are that
uh women incur before or during child
birth then the the the the solution is
really to have the services and then
also the availability of standby uh
ambulances or transport just in case
problem arises the patient can be
transported
immediately and then and then to
continue providing this free medicine
especially for for uh anemia feros
sufate folic acids for pregnant mother
and the uh vaccinations for toxoid tanos
toxoid prevent
thator I think if the mortality and
morbidity gets higher if the patient are
are those among those patient who have
higher parity and gravidity so if you
have birth proper birth spacing or
proper birth control then I think it
would be a very big factor to bring down
the maternal mortality and morbidity
rate all necessary health services
including reproductive Health should be
provided it's possible it's entirely
possible for a country such as ourselves
no matter how much is our poverty level
at the moment to be able to provide uh
free health care or minimal payment
healthare to all our people and I am one
of those people who thinks that if you
want National development we have to
have
massive uh investment in social services
such as education and health build up
the basic Foundation which is maternal
and child and newborn care build up that
basic and then we can proceed and
compete in the global market the key is
we need to have a healthy population
Healthy Mothers Healthy Children healthy
newborns that's the only time we can
have a healthy Workforce with a healthy
Workforce that is educated and trained
we can compete as a country in the
global World maternal health is not just
a measure of efficiency of the country's
Health System it is a statement of
women's worth in a society that claims
to be just and Humane letting mothers
die makes the future Loom with darkness
and to see more and more of them die is
to lose a future
altogether
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