Maternal mortality rate high in rural areas
LAHORE, July 11: “Men as partners in maternal health” was the theme of the World Population Day, 2007, which was observed by the Population Welfare Department by holding a press conference in their office.
In South Asia, the risk of a woman dying during childbirth or pregnancy is 1 in 46. In rural areas, maternal mortality is high as women seek medical care only after much delay.
The Punjab Population Minister, Naseem Lodhi said on the occasion: “though we celebrate this day every year, this time round we are sending the funds to the flood-affected people of Balochistan”. Regarding population, she was of the view that a high population index is the biggest impediment in the growth and development of any country.
This is because with more people on the earth, resources get depleted quickly. Naseem Lodhi called on to the intellectuals, writers and scholars to help in preventing a population boom.
Saying that while previously people were averse to taking advice from others regarding matters of family planning and care of the expectant mother during and after pregnancy, today male ‘mobilisers’ are reaching far into these families who need it the most. Going to villages to spread awareness, people from the Population Welfare Department contact the religious leaders there, who then spread the message by word-of-mouth.
Of the many activities taking place by the population department, one is the setting up of camps during the ‘urs’ ceremony of any venerated Sufi or holy person. These ‘urs’ are thronged by a huge number of people and so awareness can be provided to a great extent.
The department has also trained various religious leaders and intellectuals for conveying their message en masse and established committees in mosques. This awareness-raising has led to families taking more care of their girls than boys – something which in the past so many years was an idea even hard to think of.
The department, in the coming days, shall send free medical camps, food tents and other resources to the people of Balochistan. The total funds to be sent in this way shall amount to Rs3.5 million.
The present scheme of the population department is receiving aid from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), began in 2003 and is to continue till 2008.
The last census was taken in 1998 and it is already time for a new one. Pakistan is currently the sixth most populous country in South Asia with a figure of 153.5 million in 2005-2006. If the population continues to grow at the present rate, it is expected to double in the next 35 years.
Another important issue to be considered is that of obstetric complications in women that leads to maternal deaths.
So far, the population welfare programme has established 115 mobile service units, to go and provide aid to families in villages; has set-up 1,400 family welfare centres; recruited 2,422 male mobilisers from a target of 3,760; and established 54 reproductive health service centres from a total of 107 of these centres.
Mobilising male partners, extended families, communities and nations is necessary to combat maternal deaths and mortality. Awareness, provision of appropriate medical care and family planning are also required to improve the maternal health picture and to decrease the occurrence of maternal mortality and morbidity.
Source: Dawn
Date:7/12/2007
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