“Maternal mortality is unacceptably high”
“About 295,000 women died during and following pregnancy and childbirth in 2017. The vast majority of these deaths (94%) occurred in low-resource settings, and most could have been prevented”.
The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in low income countries is 462 per 100,000 live births versus 11 per 100,000 live births in high income countries
Why are Pregnant women dying?
Women die as a result of complications during and following pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these complications develop during pregnancy and most are preventable or treatable.
The major complications that account for nearly 75% of all maternal deaths are:
severe bleeding (mostly bleeding after childbirth)
infections (usually after childbirth)
high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia)
complications from delivery
unsafe abortion
Why do women not receive care?
Poor women in remote areas are the least likely to receive adequate health care. This is especially true for regions with low numbers of skilled health workers, like sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
The main factors that prevent women from receiving or seeking care during pregnancy and childbirth are:
poverty
distance to facilities
lack of (or wrong) information
inadequate or poor quality services
cultural beliefs and practices
*(source: https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality)
Sustainable Development Goal 3
By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births (SDG3)
Incorporating theoretical and practical components The 2h Project places Australian midwives, doctors, anaesthetists, sonographers and theatre nurses alongside health centre and hospital staff in their usual working environment. Responding to the 'everyday' clinical presentations with a coaching emphasis provides the opportunity to improve the skills, practice and knowledge of local health workers in preparation for tackling the most serious life-threatening conditions (e.g. postpartum haemorrhage - 27% of all global maternal deaths) and the treatment of women suffering from long-standing debilitating morbidities.
Our experience has taught us that the greatest learning takes place where there is meaningful interaction around the issues and challenges that the learner is already experiencing. We are mindful not to introduce ideas and procedures that are irrelevant or inconsistent with government or international guidelines.
““Investing in health systems – especially in training midwives and in making emergency obstetric care available round-the-clock – is key to reducing maternal mortality” ”