Equity in Maternal Healthcare: Leaving No Mother Behind

  •   Thu, Apr 11 2024
  •   By Dr Maria Pais

April 11, 2024

Every year on April 11, we celebrate Safe Motherhood Day to raise awareness about the importance of maternal health and well-being. The potential theme for 2024 is ‘Equity in Maternal Healthcare: Leaving No Mother Behind’. This theme will focus on ensuring that all mothers, regardless of their socio-economic status or geographic location, have access to high-quality healthcare services. This day aims to promote safe delivery practices, reduce maternal mortality rates, and ensure access to quality maternal healthcare services for all mothers.

Although motherhood is a necessary experience for the survival of the human species, it has long been a concern due to the risks associated with it. Safe motherhood is a major concern for many countries, including India, and it is of utmost importance to society. Let's celebrate National Safe Motherhood Day 2024 by ensuring maternal wellness for every mother in India. The maternal health status in India has improved remarkably by 6 points and stands at 97 lac live births. However, illnesses linked to pregnancy are still prevalent in rural areas.

Various reasons can cause complications during pregnancy and childbirth. One of the main causes is severe morning sickness, also known as hyperemesis gravidarum, which can lead to dehydration and weight loss. Infections, such as sexually transmitted diseases and urinary tract infections (UTIs), are also common. Besides, bacterial infections like group B streptococcus in the vagina or rectum can occur during childbirth and be transmitted to both the mother and unborn child.

The Indian government has taken several measures to improve the health of expectant mothers by prioritizing safe motherhood. They have implemented various maternal welfare programs, such as Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Muthulakshmi Maternity Benefit Scheme, and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK). These programs offer various benefits, including financial assistance, free and cashless delivery, and postnatal services for both mothers and children in government health institutions in rural and urban areas. By encouraging mothers to give birth at a medical facility instead of at home, the programs aim to improve the health of both expectant mothers and their babies.

The primary objectives of safe motherhood practices in India are to provide regular prenatal care visits to expectant mothers for better pregnancy outcomes by identifying high-risk pregnancies early on and managing them effectively. Having a trained healthcare professional present during delivery can greatly reduce the risk of maternal and newborn mortality. Access to emergency care is essential for addressing potential complications during labor. Additionally, postnatal check-ups are crucial to ensure the health of both mother and child by identifying and addressing any issues that may arise after birth. The safety and well-being of the mother and child are the top priorities during the entire pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum phases. It is essential to ensure equity in maternal healthcare, leaving no mother behind, investing in maternal health for a sustainable future, empowering families, and strengthening communities for optimal maternal health. Leveraging technology can also lead to better maternal health outcomes.

Maternity insurance is a type of health insurance that covers hospital stays and medical care related to pregnancy. It is available online and provides a quick, easy, and user-friendly approach to cashless claims. The insurance covers maternity-related hospitalization, antenatal check-up expenses, delivery expenses, postnatal care expenses, any pregnancy-related complications, and treatment modalities. Safe motherhood is crucial to reducing the risk of problems and maternal and pediatric mortality by providing women access to high-quality care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. To ensure that every woman can have a safe and healthy pregnancy and delivery, it is essential to invest in maternity health insurance. It also helps to lower financial uncertainty and manage unintentional loss. The health of women and their families depends on the health of the mother, making safe motherhood an important investment.

 

From the archives:

 

 

 
By Dr Maria Pais
To submit your article / poem / short story to Daijiworld, please email it to news@daijiworld.com mentioning 'Article/poem submission for daijiworld' in the subject line. Please note the following:

  • The article / poem / short story should be original and previously unpublished in other websites except in the personal blog of the author. We will cross-check the originality of the article, and if found to be copied from another source in whole or in parts without appropriate acknowledgment, the submission will be rejected.
  • The author of the poem / article / short story should include a brief self-introduction limited to 500 characters and his/her recent picture (optional). Pictures relevant to the article may also be sent (optional), provided they are not bound by copyright. Travelogues should be sent along with relevant pictures not sourced from the Internet. Travelogues without relevant pictures will be rejected.
  • In case of a short story / article, the write-up should be at least one-and-a-half pages in word document in Times New Roman font 12 (or, about 700-800 words). Contributors are requested to keep their write-ups limited to a maximum of four pages. Longer write-ups may be sent in parts to publish in installments. Each installment should be sent within a week of the previous installment. A single poem sent for publication should be at least 3/4th of a page in length. Multiple short poems may be submitted for single publication.
  • All submissions should be in Microsoft Word format or text file. Pictures should not be larger than 1000 pixels in width, and of good resolution. Pictures should be attached separately in the mail and may be numbered if the author wants them to be placed in order.
  • Submission of the article / poem / short story does not automatically entail that it would be published. Daijiworld editors will examine each submission and decide on its acceptance/rejection purely based on merit.
  • Daijiworld reserves the right to edit the submission if necessary for grammar and spelling, without compromising on the author's tone and message.
  • Daijiworld reserves the right to reject submissions without prior notice. Mails/calls on the status of the submission will not be entertained. Contributors are requested to be patient.
  • The article / poem / short story should not be targeted directly or indirectly at any individual/group/community. Daijiworld will not assume responsibility for factual errors in the submission.
  • Once accepted, the article / poem / short story will be published as and when we have space. Publication may take up to four weeks from the date of submission of the write-up, depending on the number of submissions we receive. No author will be published twice in succession or twice within a fortnight.
  • Time-bound articles (example, on Mother's Day) should be sent at least a week in advance. Please specify the occasion as well as the date on which you would like it published while sending the write-up.

Comment on this article

  • Irita, Kallianpur/Mangalore

    Thu, Apr 11 2024

    Wonderful and informative article Maria 👏 👍 👌 Keep writing and sharing your intellectual thoughts !!!


Leave a Comment

Title: Equity in Maternal Healthcare: Leaving No Mother Behind



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.