5.Improve Maternal Health

Millennium Development Goals

IntroductionThe United Nations is an organisation which was established with the purpose of bringing all nations of the world together to work for peace and development.

The UN set up the 8 Millennium Development goals - for example eradicating extreme poverty & hunger and reducing child mortality rates - with the hope of reducing global poverty and inequality in all forms by 2015.

Our project is based on goal 5, Improving Maternal Health.

Why does Maternal Health need to be Improved?

• In most developing countries, difficulties with pregnancy and childbirth are the leading causes of death among women of a reproductive age.

• Poor maternal conditions are the fourth leading cause of death for women around the world, after HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.

• High-quality health care has made maternal death very rare in developed countries. However, maternal complications can be fatal in developing countries due to health care that is both poor and inaccessible.

• Maternal health problems also include complications from childbirth that do not result in death. For every woman that dies during childbirth, approximately 20 suffer from infection, injury, or disability.

• A woman dies from complications with child birth almost every minute.

The Goals• Reducing by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio• Achieve universal access to reproductive health.• Reduce complications and in pregnancy and child birth with

the proper medicine and qualified doctors.• To protect women from domestic violence and have men

more involved in the pregnancy and birth to prevent ignorance and complications.

• To inform young people about contraception and increase access to it and sexual and reproduction counselling.

• Educating girls they know what to do during pregnancy and post pregnancy.

All of this combined will help prevent fatality and complications during and after childbirth and pregnancy

What has been done so far to improve maternal health?

There is still quite a way to go in order to fulfil the 5th Millennium Development Goal, which is to improve maternal health. Having said this, a lot is being done. Some actions which have been carried out include:

Developing more efficient and effective healthcare

systems in areas where this is needed. Reducing the amount of teen pregnancies, which is partly

done by educating boys and girls. Encouraging family planning. Improving maternal nutrition. Ensuring trained assistance at deliveries. Gaining better access to medical supplies needed for the

times before, after and during births. Protecting poor women from ill health and unaffordable

costs and treatment.

Maternal Mortality in the World

Maternal Mortality is highest in developing countries (eg: Ethiopia & Chad).Maternal Mortality is not as common in developed countries (eg: Ireland & France).

Results So Far

• The need for family planning is slowly being met for more women.• Sexual education for girls in developing countries is becoming more common

The goals have been reached to a certain degree but accelerated interventions are required in order to meet the target for 2015.

• Maternal mortality has nearly halved since 1990_47% less• In Eastern Asia, Northern Africa and Southern Asia, maternal mortality has declined

by around two-thirds.• In developing regions, antenatal care increased from 63 per cent in 1990 to 81 per

cent in 2011.• Fewer teens are having children in most developing regions. Sadly though progress is slowing in this case

As seen in the fifth slide much has been done and as a result of this:

Video Links• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76W3AdJtTRo

^Personal Story on the results of maternal mortality

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_VwC2qhUGY ^Facts on Maternal Mortality

Referenceswww.un.org/millenniumgoals/maternal.shtml

http://www.worldbank.org/mdgs/maternal_health.html

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By Jessie,Katie&Ailbhe