Safe Motherhood Campaign
The seemingly safe act of delivering a child remains one of the biggest health risks for many women worldwide. Fifteen hundred women die every day while giving birth. That's half a million mothers every year. Women in the world’s least developed countries are 300 times more likely to die in childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications than women in developed countries. In Jamaica, UNICEF and partners face a steep challenge in reducing maternal mortality. Across the island, women receive a high level of care during their pregnancies - 91 per cent of pregnant women get quality antenatal care at least once during pregnancy, and 97 per cent of births are delivered by skilled personnel. Despite these facts, Jamaica is not on track to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) #5 ― a 75 per cent reduction in maternal mortality ratio between 1990 and 2015. The maternal mortality rate (MMR) of 95 deaths per 100,000 live births has remained fairly stagnant over the last two decades. For Jamaica to reach the targets set in MDG #5, the MMR would have to decrease to 25 deaths per 100,000. Three-quarters of all maternal deaths are caused by complications during delivery and the immediate post-partum period. According to the Ministry of Health and Environment, the leading cause of maternal deaths in Jamaica is hypertension. Other major causes are embolism, hemorrhaging during delivery and the increasing number of unsafe abortions. These direct causes account for half of all maternal deaths in Jamaica, while indirect causes, including cardiac diseases, the increasing prevalence of HIV/AIDS and the impact of violence, account for the other half. According to the Ministry of Health and Environment, the number of maternal deaths resulting from direct causes has fallen in recent years. However, the number of deaths from indirect causes is on the rise, particularly those caused by cardiac diseases. Maternal mortality is largely preventable. Major challenges impeding progress in Jamaica include a shortage of trained midwives, the prevalence of unsafe abortions, inadequate public education and early pregnancies. Violence and HIV/AIDS also contribute as indirect causes. No woman should ever have to face the tragic prospect that she may not survive the extraordinary period of pregnancy and childbirth. The Ministry of Health and Environment is leading an effort to reduce maternal mortality through its ‘Safe Motherhood’ campaign, with support from UNICEF, UNFPA and PAHO. Working closely towards this goal with our partners, UNICEF has supported: · Development of the Strategic Framework for Safe Motherhood within the Ministry of Health and Environment’s Family Health Programme. · Training of 400 health care workers and relevant stakeholders on the policy and guidelines for Safe Motherhood. · Production of the manual for the Surveillance of Maternal Deaths and the manual for the Management of Obstetric Emergencies for health care workers. · Acquisition of equipment to save the lives of mothers and babies during and after delivery in three major hospitals in Spanish Town, Mandeville and Cornwall.
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