“5 women die per hour in India while giving birth to new one’s” says WHO report

When it comes to various human developmental indexes Indian women explicitly lags behind and one such report released by WHO makes the argument much more stronger.” 5 Indian women die per hour in childbirth” says the recent reports where it is elaborated that  on an average nearly five women die every hour here due to complications during childbirth. Nearly 45000 mothers die due to the childbirth related complications every year in India and adds 17% in the global sphere. What added as the biggest cause for this serious issue is believed to be blood loss within 24 hours of childbirth.
 A BRIEF LOOK ON WHAT WHO REPORTS SAYS ON GLOBAL LEVEL 

The maternal mortality ratio in developing countries in 2015 is 239 per 100 000 live births versus 12 per 100 000 live births in developed countries. There are large disparities between countries, but also within countries, and between women with high and low income and those women living in rural versus urban areas.

The risk of maternal mortality is highest for adolescent girls under 15 years old and complications in pregnancy and childbirth is a leading cause of death among adolescent girls in developing countries.1,2

Women in developing countries have, on average, many more pregnancies than women in developed countries, and their lifetime risk of death due to pregnancy is higher. A woman’s lifetime risk of maternal death – the probability that a 15 year old woman will eventually die from a maternal cause – is 1 in 4900 in developed countries, versus 1 in 180 in developing countries. In countries designated as fragile states, the risk is 1 in 54; showing the consequences from breakdowns in health systems.

Why do women die?

The major complications that account for nearly 75% of all maternal deaths are:3

  • severe bleeding (mostly bleeding after childbirth)
  • infections (usually after childbirth)
  • high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia)
  • complications from delivery
  • unsafe abortion.The remainder are caused by or associated with diseases such as malaria, and AIDS during pregnancy.
 The most important question that arises is how can they be saved. As per the WHO guidelines there are certain steps which every women and her near and dear ones has to take when she is carrying . Most maternal deaths are preventable, as the health-care solutions to prevent or manage complications are well known. All women need access to antenatal care in pregnancy, skilled care during childbirth, and care and support in the weeks after childbirth. Maternal health and newborn health are closely linked. Approximately 2.7 million newborn babies die every year4, and an additional 2.6 million are stillborn.5 It is particularly important that all births are attended by skilled health professionals, as timely management and treatment can make the difference between life and death for both the mother and the baby.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *