In the Philippines, Giving Birth Kills: Maternal Mortality in the Philippines

Third World Studies Center
20 Sept 201128:51

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

  • 🌎 Maternal and child health is a global measure of a country's health system efficiency.
  • πŸ˜” The scale of maternal mortality is high but not well-known; it's considered a silent epidemic.
  • πŸ“Š In 2008, the Philippines had a higher maternal mortality ratio compared to Canada, with 11 Filipino mothers dying daily.
  • 🀰 Complications during pregnancy can be fatal, with the World Health Organization identifying five main causes of maternal mortality.
  • πŸš‘ Most maternal deaths are preventable, and the United Nations aims to improve maternal health through skilled care during pregnancy and childbirth.
  • πŸ‘Ά In the Philippines, about 36.4% of pregnant women receive assistance from traditional birth attendants, known as 'helots'.
  • πŸ›‘ The lack of training for helots can lead to inadequate care and increased maternal mortality risks.
  • πŸ₯ Access to healthcare is a significant issue, with various barriers such as lack of permission, money, and transportation.
  • πŸ“ˆ The three delays model in maternal health includes decision-making delays, accessibility and transport delays, and delays in the provision of appropriate care.
  • πŸ›οΈ Initiatives like the MNCHN strategy and local campaigns aim to reduce maternal mortality by improving access to skilled birth attendance and healthcare facilities.
  • 🌱 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

00:00

🀰 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.

05:08

πŸ₯ 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.

10:10

πŸ›‘ 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.

15:12

πŸ“œ 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.

20:12

🌟 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.

25:13

πŸ’” 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

πŸ’‘Maternal Mortality

Maternal mortality refers to the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management. In the video's context, it is a significant issue in the Philippines, with a high ratio compared to countries like Canada, indicating a major concern in the health system.

πŸ’‘Maternal Health

Maternal health encompasses the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period. The video discusses the importance of maternal health as a measure of a country's health system efficiency and highlights the efforts to improve it through access to skilled care during pregnancy and childbirth.

πŸ’‘Pregnancy Complications

Pregnancy complications are health issues that arise during pregnancy and can potentially lead to the death of the mother. The script mentions that the World Health Organization has identified five major causes of maternal mortality, such as hemorrhage and infection, which are directly related to pregnancy complications.

πŸ’‘Skilled Birth Attendance

Skilled birth attendance refers to childbirth care provided by professionals such as midwives, doctors, or nurses who have been trained to manage normal childbirth and provide emergency care. The video emphasizes the importance of skilled birth attendance in reducing maternal mortality rates and contrasts it with traditional birth attendants.

πŸ’‘Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs)

Traditional birth attendants, or helots in the context of the Philippines, are individuals who assist mothers during childbirth, often having acquired their skills through self-study or apprenticeship. The video discusses the limitations of TBAs, such as lack of formal training and the risks associated with their practices, which can contribute to maternal mortality.

πŸ’‘Maternal Mortality Ratio

Maternal mortality ratio is a measure of the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. The script provides specific ratios for the Philippines and Canada, highlighting the disparity and indicating the scale of the issue in the Philippines.

πŸ’‘Preventable Maternal Deaths

Preventable maternal deaths are those that could be avoided through timely and appropriate medical intervention. The video script points out that most maternal deaths are preventable and emphasizes the need for better access to healthcare and skilled birth attendance.

πŸ’‘Healthcare Access

Healthcare access refers to the availability and affordability of healthcare services for individuals. The video discusses various barriers to healthcare access, such as financial constraints, lack of transportation, and cultural factors, which can influence a pregnant woman's choice of birth attendant and contribute to maternal mortality.

πŸ’‘Reproductive Health Bill

The reproductive health bill mentioned in the video is a proposed legislation in the Philippines aimed at improving maternal health by providing integrated health care programs, including family planning, maternal and child health services, and reproductive health education. The bill has been a subject of debate for many years, reflecting the broader social and political context around maternal health.

πŸ’‘Healthcare Coordination

Healthcare coordination refers to the organization and management of healthcare services across different levels, from local to national. The video calls for improved coordination among various sectors to address the issue of maternal mortality and to ensure that health services are effectively delivered to those in need.

πŸ’‘Community-Level Services

Community-level services are healthcare services provided at the local community level, often by health workers or community health volunteers. The video discusses the role of community-level service providers in identifying pregnant women, providing prenatal care, and assisting with facility-based births, which is crucial in reducing maternal mortality.

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

play00:10

maternal and child health has been a

play00:12

measure of how efficient the health

play00:14

system of any country works that's the I

play00:18

think the tragedy that it's such a big

play00:20

scale of death but uh it's not very well

play00:24

known if you die from a disease it is

play00:27

understandable you were saying pregnancy

play00:29

is that the disease and how come women

play00:31

are dying from

play00:33

it we always want the pregnancy to

play00:36

culminate in a healthy baby and a

play00:38

healthy mother

play00:43

[Music]

play00:55

right according to the United Nations

play00:58

Children's Fund 11 Filipino mothers die

play01:01

every day due to complications related

play01:03

to pregnancy and child birth maternal

play01:06

mortality ratio in the Philippines in

play01:08

2008 ranges from a low of 94 to a high

play01:11

of 160 deaths in every 100,000 live

play01:15

births this is high compared to the

play01:17

maternal mortality ratio in Canada in

play01:19

the same year which is only 12 per

play01:23

100,000 there's a lot of uh lack of U

play01:28

understanding about the problem because

play01:30

people worry here about the Deni

play01:32

hemorrhagic fever right now which kills

play01:35

300 not knowing that the the death rates

play01:39

for women who die of preventable

play01:41

maternal uh deaths are are are really

play01:44

great and it's not the rates are not

play01:47

coming down and it's a silent uh

play01:50

epidemic actually that uh has not

play01:53

figured into the consciousness of the

play01:56

public and uh especially of policy

play01:59

makers so so that's the uh that's the I

play02:02

think the tragedy that it's such a big

play02:05

scale of death but uh it's not very well

play02:09

known they were saying it is not a

play02:11

disease you have not you don't have to

play02:13

treat it but it is the only condition

play02:16

that is not a disease and yet women are

play02:19

dying from

play02:21

it okay if you die from a disease it is

play02:25

understandable you were saying pregnancy

play02:27

is at the disease and how come women are

play02:29

dying from

play02:30

it mothers May develop complications

play02:33

during pregnancy that could lead to

play02:35

their death the World Health

play02:36

Organization identified five natural

play02:39

causes of maternal mortality 25% of

play02:42

pregnant women die of hemorrhage 15% of

play02:45

infection 133% of unsafe abortion 12% of

play02:49

eclampsia and 8% due to obstructed labor

play02:53

however UNICEF explains that most

play02:55

maternal deaths could be avoided United

play02:57

Nations Millennium Development Goal five

play03:00

aims to improve maternal Health through

play03:02

access to Skilled care during pregnancy

play03:04

child birth and a first month after

play03:06

delivery to save the lives of both the

play03:08

mother and the child in the Philippines

play03:11

about 36.4% of pregnant women receive

play03:14

assistance from the helots helots are

play03:18

traditional birth

play03:19

attendants the Department of Health

play03:21

defines traditional birth attendant as a

play03:24

person who assist mothers during child

play03:25

birth and who initially acquired her

play03:27

skills by delivering babies by self or

play03:30

through observation or apprenticeship

play03:32

with other helots the practices of

play03:34

helots are naturally passed on in the

play03:55

family the Department of Health has been

play03:58

providing intensive training since 1974

play04:00

to make he's competent birth attendance

play04:03

one of those who received training was

play04:05

Leonor

play04:06

[Music]

play04:10

Vel

play04:12

1976 we actually in the past tried to

play04:17

teach the uh traditional birth

play04:19

attendance in the H with some skills but

play04:22

the experience of that was not very

play04:24

ideal in fact it it created a syndrome

play04:27

we called little knowledge is dangerous

play04:30

the more the complicated deliveries were

play04:32

not being referred because as we

play04:34

imparted a lot of knowledge to them it

play04:36

also created them a false sense of uh

play04:40

confidence and the one at risk is

play04:42

actually the mother the lack of the

play04:44

heal's training may be manifested in

play04:46

their varying

play04:58

practices

play05:07

nalagan plastic para

play05:11

magay tapos Kay PA Kami po May Glo man

play05:16

Kami nagamit talagang

play05:18

gloves Kamil KO

play05:23

[Applause]

play05:28

koasas

play05:56

foral

play05:58

Al

play06:04

these practices are often opposed by the

play06:06

skilled birth

play06:08

attendance

play06:17

[Applause]

play06:28

Terin

play06:45

4 cm 2

play06:49

cm fully

play06:56

dilated

play06:58

technique

play06:59

[Music]

play07:07

and repair number one the control the

play07:09

infection they are not trained for that

play07:11

they're not trained to do um minor

play07:14

surgery like otomies and everything so I

play07:18

think it's they are not trained to to do

play07:21

um IV therapy for example because in in

play07:25

in child birth there's a lot of

play07:27

hemorrhages in uh there are a lot of um

play07:30

it is a very Bloody Business right

play07:32

giving birth so they're not trained so

play07:34

they do not they cannot give emergency

play07:36

measures to the

play07:38

patient UNICEF identifies the pregnant

play07:41

women subscription to the hilot as a

play07:43

major factor in maternal death the

play07:45

United Nations sees the successful child

play07:47

births can be achieved more with the

play07:48

help of skilled birth attendance but why

play07:51

do women still gamble in choosing helots

play07:53

to deliver their babies poor women uh

play07:57

culturally financially

play07:59

they will deliver with a with a

play08:03

attendant that they are most comfortable

play08:05

with and there's the cultural difference

play08:07

is that the traditional birth attendants

play08:09

are actually very personal in their care

play08:12

the professional Midwife does not have

play08:14

that

play08:18

[Applause]

play08:28

personalized

play08:52

nip

play08:55

taga

play08:58

Kam

play09:06

there are more and the Midwife so um the

play09:10

cultural the norm is to go to the hot

play09:13

first before going to the midwe the 2008

play09:16

Philippine national demographic and

play09:18

health survey by the national Statistics

play09:20

Office points to the different problems

play09:22

in accessing Healthcare among these are

play09:25

getting permission to go for treatment

play09:27

getting money for treatment the

play09:29

assistance of Health Facilities having

play09:31

to take transport not wanting to go

play09:33

alone having no female provider

play09:35

available having no provider available

play09:38

and having no drugs available the survey

play09:41

shows that choosing the healers is not a

play09:43

direct cause of maternal mortality but

play09:45

these problems in accessing Health Care

play09:47

May influence the pregnant women's

play09:48

choice of a birth attendant seeking care

play09:51

from the healers they have risks in the

play09:53

mother's pregnancy these risks are

play09:55

referred to in the and Main's framework

play09:58

model of three level LS of delay the

play10:00

first level of delay is in a decision-

play10:02

making at the community level ignorance

play10:05

on the part of the patient no they were

play10:07

not they not having any prenatal care at

play10:10

all they may be having a watery

play10:13

discharge for one week maybe bleeding

play10:15

for a long period of time only at the

play10:18

time that the condition become uh

play10:21

irreversible that's the only time they

play10:23

will go to the hospital so how how how

play10:27

how good a doctor you may be

play10:29

you will not be able to reverse the

play10:32

condition the second delay is in the

play10:34

accessibility and transport to a health

play10:36

facility and the options for

play10:38

communication second that can also be

play10:41

because the health facilities are quite

play10:43

far from them you know and it's not

play10:47

unusual uh for our people to live hours

play10:50

away from the nearest hospital you know

play10:53

some even have to ride boats to be able

play10:56

to go to to to to the nearest clinic or

play11:00

or Hospital the third delay is in the

play11:02

availability and quality of appropriate

play11:04

care and the third if they do get to

play11:06

reach a hospital but unfortunately not

play11:09

all our hospitals are fully equipped so

play11:12

some of our hospitals the anesthesiology

play11:15

is not available they have no anesthesia

play11:17

machine so that they need to do

play11:19

emergency intervention but the emergency

play11:22

intervention is again delayed the delay

play11:24

in the decision to seek care delaying

play11:26

the arrival at the health facility And

play11:29

Delay the provision of appropriate care

play11:31

are all interconnected and may occur all

play11:34

at the same time all of this as you can

play11:36

see is a

play11:37

Continuum and some of them are entirely

play11:39

preventable because if you if the mother

play11:42

gets good prenatal care you can actually

play11:45

identify already who should be giving

play11:48

birth in a hospital and who who should

play11:51

be given in less safe condition so you

play11:54

second delivery normal without any

play11:56

complications initiatives are being done

play11:59

to address the three levels of delay to

play12:00

reduce maternal mortality in 2008 the

play12:04

Department of Health released

play12:06

administrative order

play12:08

2008-2 n to implement the integrated

play12:12

maternal neonatal and child health and

play12:14

nutrition or MN chn strategy the 2008

play12:20

0029 administrative order is really all

play12:23

about improving maternal mortal through

play12:26

a strategy the goal of the administra

play12:29

order is to significantly lower maternal

play12:31

mortality the MN chn Service delivery

play12:34

Network shall be organized as

play12:36

follows number one is the community

play12:39

level service

play12:40

providers they are the health workers

play12:43

tasked to give primary healthc care

play12:44

services including the campaign for

play12:47

proper birth spacing complete required

play12:49

antenatal care visits Aid in the shift

play12:52

to facility based birth assisted by

play12:54

professional attendance postpartum and

play12:57

postnatal care and assistance in other

play12:59

health packages for women and

play13:02

children this also limits the role of

play13:04

the heot to assisting the professional

play13:06

attendants and health

play13:08

workers number two is the basic

play13:10

emergency Obstetrics and newborn care or

play13:13

bamun the bong facility is comprised a

play13:16

core District Hospital or similar

play13:18

facilities capable of Performing the

play13:20

obstetric functions neonatal emergency

play13:23

care and blood transfusions number three

play13:26

is the comprehensive emergency obstetric

play13:29

and newborn care or

play13:31

seon the seon facilities are and

play13:34

referral public and private facilities

play13:36

capable of managing complicated

play13:38

deliveries including the same functions

play13:40

as the Bon cesarian section and other

play13:43

highly specialized obstetric

play13:45

services in the municipality of minaba

play13:49

kamarin Mayor Leo vildo basmayor has

play13:51

launched a strong campaign for maternal

play13:53

care one of his initiatives is the

play13:56

project maternal assistance monitoring

play13:58

activity or project Mama Our intention

play14:02

is uh to identify every household that

play14:05

has got pregnant women and this is done

play14:07

by uh by a maximum cooperation between

play14:11

uh bangi leaders our health

play14:14

workers and uh uh our bangai officials

play14:19

the intention is uh to come up with a um

play14:23

a

play14:24

database uh so we can uh assist all of

play14:26

them uh from the time they are are aware

play14:29

that they are pregnant up to the time

play14:31

that they will

play14:33

deliver uh also we have uh try to

play14:37

institutionalize one uh program like uh

play14:43

uh giving um uh medical advice to uh uh

play14:48

pregnant women via cell phone so they

play14:51

can uh text us uh for whatever problem

play14:55

that uh they are encountering while uh

play14:58

uh

play14:59

they are waiting for the delivery they

play15:01

can they can call us or we can call them

play15:04

uh we always make our ambulance uh

play15:06

available so we can pick them up any

play15:09

time uh there need to bring them to the

play15:11

hospital mayor M Mayo's other initiative

play15:15

is ordinance number 121

play15:18

d201 regulating the practices of trained

play15:20

birth attendance and all health workers

play15:23

on Safe Motherhood or maternal and Child

play15:25

Health Care

play15:27

Program

play15:47

as far as uh the municipal ordinance is

play15:49

concerned um if they bring uh pregnant

play15:53

women in our facilities uh they will be

play15:56

given a second amount uh part of their

play15:59

share if they help if they help they

play16:02

will just be assisting Our Midwives and

play16:05

uh and the part of the money that uh we

play16:08

will uh collect will be returned to the

play16:12

uh hos the local government unit in

play16:15

minaba also tap resources of private

play16:18

corporations in building lying in and

play16:20

birthing

play16:21

facilities two birthing facilities have

play16:24

already been constructed in the

play16:25

municipality by theik

play16:27

Foundation another one would be built by

play16:29

the end of 2011 from fiser Park Davis so

play16:33

there are two birthing facilities now

play16:35

and um uh with this new one from uh

play16:39

fiser I think the the building will be a

play16:42

lot better A lot bigger uh to

play16:44

accommodate uh more patients so we are

play16:48

we are putting in a facility beside the

play16:50

rural health unit um this facility is

play16:53

for natural birth and this is under

play16:55

partnership with the Department of

play16:56

Health and participating local

play16:58

government units the main purpose of

play17:01

this is uh to provide an alternative

play17:04

because despite an administrative order

play17:05

Banning a a homebased delivery there's

play17:09

still a lot of people in fact in 2009 um

play17:12

statistics would dictate that uh 60% of

play17:15

women gave birth in their houses so we

play17:19

want to lessen that so we would want

play17:20

them to just go into the facility and

play17:23

under Trin uh birth attendance so that's

play17:26

the whole project there um when you look

play17:28

at it 2015 is uh is uh is so near so

play17:32

that's why we created the facility out

play17:33

of shipping containers which can be done

play17:35

in 2 weeks time so we knew that we

play17:37

wanted to put up something fast

play17:40

something that works and something

play17:42

that's easily replicable in

play17:44

record-breaking time because the window

play17:47

is closing in and we we need to and part

play17:50

of that is we believe that the

play17:51

facilities would play a vital role in

play17:54

terms of uh curving maternal

play17:56

Health similar to project mama is the

play17:59

reproductive Health Sentinels by lean an

play18:03

organization advocating the health and

play18:04

rights of disadvantaged women and their

play18:07

communities their job they're actually

play18:10

leaders in the

play18:12

community who uh whose uh tasks

play18:17

involve involve or include uh watching

play18:21

over women with

play18:23

pregnancies and making sure that the

play18:25

women who deliver with complications are

play18:27

brought to the

play18:29

fastest uh facility available

play18:32

non-government organizations also push

play18:34

for the passage of the reproductive

play18:36

Health Bill to significantly improve

play18:38

maternal Health in the country the bill

play18:41

has been languishing in the Philippine

play18:42

Congress for the past 16 years it is

play18:45

only now that it is getting a fair

play18:47

chance of becoming law reproductive

play18:50

Health uh it requires a series of interl

play18:55

uh

play18:56

elements uh to ensure that every woman

play18:59

can can have a safe uh reproductive life

play19:03

and every F not just every woman every

play19:05

man woman and even children can have

play19:08

safe uh lives when it comes to the area

play19:10

of reproduction the reproductive health

play19:13

or RH bill shall provide an integrated

play19:16

healthc CARE program that includes the

play19:19

following Family Planning information

play19:22

and services maternal infant and child

play19:25

health and nutrition including

play19:27

breastfeeding

play19:29

prescription of abortion and management

play19:31

of abortion

play19:33

complications Adolescent and youth

play19:35

reproductive Health prevention and

play19:37

management of reproductive tract

play19:39

infections HIV and AIDS and other

play19:42

sexually transmittable

play19:44

infections elimination of violence

play19:46

against women education and counseling

play19:49

on sexuality and reproductive health

play19:53

treatment of breast and reproductive

play19:55

tract cancers and other gynecological

play19:57

conditions and

play19:59

disorders male responsibility and

play20:01

participation in reproductive Health

play20:04

prevention and treatment of infertility

play20:07

and sexual

play20:08

dysfunction reproductive health

play20:10

education for the

play20:12

adolescents and the mental health aspect

play20:14

of reproductive Health Care conscious

play20:17

efforts are being made to reduce

play20:18

maternal mortality but there is still a

play20:21

lot to be done under secretary herbosa

play20:24

calls for cooperation among the

play20:26

different sectors and a gold improve

play20:28

maternal Health none of us want our

play20:30

mothers to die giving birth is there

play20:32

anyone out there from the NGO the

play20:35

government or the other sectors who want

play20:39

mothers to die uh while giving birth

play20:42

none the key is to act accordingly

play20:45

there's a lot of things to be done like

play20:47

uh uh educating our people informing our

play20:50

people that these are their rights

play20:53

health is a basic right of our people

play20:57

and uh government must must also show uh

play21:02

some honest efforts in addressing this

play21:05

problem it should be among the top

play21:08

priorities that is tighter coordination

play21:11

of health services at the national the

play21:13

regional the provincial and the local he

play21:15

Health level so that that will take a

play21:18

great deal of political will there are

play21:21

uh initial steps to this uh there is uh

play21:24

an

play21:25

initiative both uh NGO and government

play21:29

now which is called the universal

play21:31

healthcare uh

play21:50

approach we cannot do this alone in fact

play21:54

it is imperative that the the uh

play21:59

Health the health uh health facilities

play22:04

and services should start from the

play22:07

bottom it should start from the

play22:11

municipality we have to work with the

play22:13

government with the politicians we have

play22:16

to have a really nice health care we

play22:19

have to reduce the

play22:22

population I think it's not just on the

play22:25

health side or maternity maternity side

play22:28

it has to go with the economic ution

play22:31

also as health workers we will take care

play22:34

of whatever is task to us but the others

play22:38

the rest I hope would do their part in

play22:41

alleviating the situation of this people

play22:44

the thing to do is to make pregnancies

play22:47

and child birth safe the question of

play22:50

course is how and the answer is uh uh by

play22:54

providing the services that are

play22:57

necessary

play22:58

to make the pregnancies and uh child

play23:02

births safe if we say that 80% are

play23:05

because of complications that are that

play23:08

uh women incur before or during child

play23:11

birth then the the the the solution is

play23:14

really to have the services and then

play23:16

also the availability of standby uh

play23:19

ambulances or transport just in case

play23:22

problem arises the patient can be

play23:24

transported

play23:25

immediately and then and then to

play23:28

continue providing this free medicine

play23:30

especially for for uh anemia feros

play23:34

sufate folic acids for pregnant mother

play23:38

and the uh vaccinations for toxoid tanos

play23:41

toxoid prevent

play23:44

thator I think if the mortality and

play23:47

morbidity gets higher if the patient are

play23:51

are those among those patient who have

play23:53

higher parity and gravidity so if you

play23:56

have birth proper birth spacing or

play23:58

proper birth control then I think it

play24:00

would be a very big factor to bring down

play24:02

the maternal mortality and morbidity

play24:04

rate all necessary health services

play24:08

including reproductive Health should be

play24:11

provided it's possible it's entirely

play24:14

possible for a country such as ourselves

play24:18

no matter how much is our poverty level

play24:21

at the moment to be able to provide uh

play24:24

free health care or minimal payment

play24:27

healthare to all our people and I am one

play24:31

of those people who thinks that if you

play24:33

want National development we have to

play24:35

have

play24:35

massive uh investment in social services

play24:39

such as education and health build up

play24:41

the basic Foundation which is maternal

play24:43

and child and newborn care build up that

play24:46

basic and then we can proceed and

play24:48

compete in the global market the key is

play24:50

we need to have a healthy population

play24:52

Healthy Mothers Healthy Children healthy

play24:55

newborns that's the only time we can

play24:57

have a healthy Workforce with a healthy

play24:59

Workforce that is educated and trained

play25:01

we can compete as a country in the

play25:04

global World maternal health is not just

play25:07

a measure of efficiency of the country's

play25:09

Health System it is a statement of

play25:12

women's worth in a society that claims

play25:14

to be just and Humane letting mothers

play25:18

die makes the future Loom with darkness

play25:21

and to see more and more of them die is

play25:23

to lose a future

play25:26

altogether

play25:32

[Music]

play26:09

[Music]

play26:26

oh

play26:32

[Music]

play26:34

oh

play26:36

[Music]

play26:56

oh

play27:03

[Music]

play27:26

e

play27:28

[Music]

play27:56

oh

play27:58

[Music]

play28:09

[Music]

play28:22

[Music]

play28:26

a

play28:30

[Music]

Rate This
β˜…
β˜…
β˜…
β˜…
β˜…

5.0 / 5 (0 votes)

Related Tags
Maternal HealthPhilippinesPregnancyChildbirthMortality RateHealthcare AccessTraditional BirthUNICEFWHOPolicy MakersHealth Reform