PHILIPPINES –  As the controversy over women’s access to proper reproductive health continues, Health Secretary Enrique Ona disclosed that the country’s maternal mortality rate went up to 221 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2010, from 162 deaths in 2006. The figures coming from the latest survey of the National Statistics Office (NSO) showed an alarming increase in the number of deaths caused by pregnancy or childbirth complications.

“This is now a challenge for us in the government because we are working to reduce maternal mortality rate in the country to 54 by year 2016,” Ona noted.
He stressed the need for the passage of critical legislation and implementation of other appropriate measures to reduce maternal mortality in the country. He said there is also the need to amend the midwifery and other health professional laws as well as consolidate local health systems at the provincial level.

Ona said the reduction in maternal mortality is essential, for it serves as a gauge of the country’s health system.

“If you have a high maternal mortality rate it means that your health system is not good enough,” Ona explained.

Maternal death is highly preventable through effective family planning health services, ante-natal care and access to health facilities.Ona said the DOH has started upgrading health facilities and intends to distribute some P500-million worth of family planning commodities this year in an effort to reduce maternal deaths.

The DOH, however, admitted that family planning program has been very limited for the past 10 years, with an estimated six million women reported to having unmet need for modern family planning services.

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Source: ABS-CBN News