Improving the quality of health care for pregnant women and mothers in Serbia

Belgrade, December 25, 2024 - Ensuring the well-being of pregnant women and mothers in labor is not only a health imperative, but also a basic issue of human rights. Successful strategies to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as maternal or newborn death, include free access to quality health care during pregnancy and childbirth, women's health education, and community empowerment to understand the importance of safety issues for pregnant women and childbirth.

In Serbia, maternal mortality related to pregnancy and childbirth varies. The ratio of the number of deaths of mothers during pregnancy, childbirth and midwives (6 weeks after delivery) per 100,000 live births was 14.9 in 2012, and in 2021 there will be a sudden jump to 22.5, probably due to the COVID-19 pandemic . In 2023, maternal mortality was 9.8.

According to UNICEF data for 2020, estimates of maternal mortality in Serbia are 20% to 50% higher than in the countries of the European region (Serbia 10, Greece 8, Germany 4).

In order to improve the quality of health care during pregnancy and childbirth, with the support of "MSD for Mothers", both UNICEF and the Ministry of Health launched a two-year project. The goal is to innovate professional knowledge and practice through the revision of the national guide for pregnancy management, to improve the timely monitoring and control of risks during pregnancy and midwifery, as well as to increase women's health literacy on key issues that affect the safe outcome of pregnancy, especially in pregnant women under risk.

" The Ministry of Health is committed to strengthening primary health care and recognizes the importance of quality antenatal health care in ensuring the well-being of the mother and child. Prioritizing antenatal health care is much more than strengthening the health system - it is, in fact, a commitment to the future of the next generations ," said Prof. Dr. Ivana Stašević Karličić , State Secretary in the Ministry of Health.

"Pregnancy represents a new and special experience in a woman's life, and each subsequent pregnancy is a challenge, but also a unique event for the gynecologist who monitors the health of the pregnant woman and the child during pregnancy and childbirth." Through regular examinations of the pregnant woman, the gynecologist can timely detect pathological conditions in pregnancy and provide the necessary health support to the mother and the child. Unfortunately, there are also unwanted events during pregnancy and childbirth that cannot be predicted in advance, but with regular examinations and compliance with and application of the highest health standards and valid medical recommendations, as well as following the achievements of modern medicine and the profession, the frequency of unwanted events is significantly reduced and provides safety to pregnant women. This initiative, which is supported by the Ministry of Health and international partners, mobilizes experts in the fields of gynecology and obstetrics and public health and strengthens the partnership with the civil sector in order for every pregnant woman to receive the highest possible level of health care, which enables a healthy pregnancy and the best outcome of childbirth," he said . prof. Dr. Željko Miković, President of the Republican Expert Commission for Gynecology and Obstetrics of the Ministry of Health .

Improved approaches in detecting risks during pregnancy and after childbirth will be implemented through a pilot project in primary health centers and maternity hospitals in Belgrade and in Šumadija, Zlatibor and Raška districts. The long-term goal is to extend the improvement of access and quality of health care for pregnant women and new mothers to all districts throughout Serbia.

"While most women in Serbia have access to quality health care and monitor their pregnancy through regular antenatal check-ups, there are still differences in relation to place and living conditions, so almost a fifth of pregnant women from the poorest social groups do not even make the minimum of 4 visits to a gynecologist during pregnancy. In cooperation with the Ministry of Health and partners, and with the support of "MSD for mothers", we will support that advice on a healthy pregnancy, risks that can endanger the health of the mother and child, signs for their timely recognition, as well as information on the importance and ways to access the health service reach every pregnant woman, including those from rural areas and socially vulnerable households ", says Jelena Zajeganović Jakovljević , Ph.D. , head of UNICEF's program for health and early development in Serbia.

In addition to health centers and maternity hospitals in the mentioned districts, the key partners in the implementation of project activities are the Republican Expert Commission of the Ministry of Health for Gynecology and Obstetrics, the Special Working Group of the Ministry of Health for the Improvement of Perinatal Health Care, GOC „Narodni Front“, Institute for Public Health of Serbia. Dr. Milan Jovanović Batut", as well as the counseling center "Halo Baby" of the City Public Health Institute of Belgrade and the CSO "Roditelj".