Publication: Reducing Maternal Mortality : Learning from Bolivia, China, Egypt, Honduras, Indonesia, Jamaica, and Zimbabwe
Date
2003-04
ISSN
Published
2003-04
Author(s)
Koblinsky, Marjorie A.
Abstract
Of the 515,000 maternal deaths that
occur every year worldwide, 99 percent take place in
developing countries. Women In the developing world have a 1
in 48 chance of dying from pregnancy-related causes; the
ratio in industrial countries is 1 in 1,800. Of all the
human development indicators, the greatest discrepancy
between industrial, and developing countries is in maternal
health. The stimulus for this study was the question - Can
current program strategies reduce maternal mortality faster
that the decades required in the historically successful
countries of Malaysia, and Sri Lanka? The answer was no.
Based on case studies in seven selected countries, the study
stipulates the factor common to all reviewed programs, is
the high availability of a provider who is, either a skilled
birth attendant, or closely connected with a capable
referral system. A second common factor is the high
availability of facilities that can provide basic, and
essential obstetric care. But, unlike historic successes
however, strong government policy now focuses explicitly on
safe motherhood, and sets the tone for programs in most of
the selected countries. Another difference between the case
studies selected, and that in historically successful
countries, is the financing of services: while service were
free to families in Malaysia and Sri Lanka, costs of safe
motherhood services are now substantial, and a major
deterrent to use.
Citation
“Koblinsky, Marjorie A.. 2003. Reducing Maternal Mortality : Learning from Bolivia, China, Egypt, Honduras, Indonesia, Jamaica, and Zimbabwe. Health, Nutrition, and Population;. © Washington, DC: World Bank. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/ff6612b9-3960-50ff-bda6-137e7d59281a License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”