It’s Dangerous to Be a Woman in Need of Reproductive Health Services

Many are aware of the high maternal mortality rates that are rising around the world. Few are aware of an issue that’s making this danger even more preposterous in 2019: the continued lowering on the priority totem pole of women’s access to reproductive health services and tools to address maternal mortality. 830 women die on a daily basis due to preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. 99 percent of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries around the world. Over half of those deaths still occur in sub-Saharan Africa today in spite of maternal mortality rates being reduced by half since 1990.

This is unacceptably high. Communities in rural areas and lower socioeconomic status face higher rates of maternal mortality than other areas. An estimated 303,000 women died during and after pregnancy and childbirth in 2015. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been receiving much backing from countries for a new target to reduce the rates of maternal mortality much further than ever before after seeing the possibility to accelerate the annual decline in maternal mortality rates.

Everyone who works in organizations that address maternal health and women’s reproductive health needs agrees that we need more policy frameworks and an integrated public health systems approach to reducing maternal mortality, yet the problem still continues to press on. What’s going on?

The problem is that new policy frameworks and integrated approaches will not sufficiently address public health systems challenges alone. It is an issue that requires improved access to the utilization and quality of far-reaching women’s healthcare needs. In many countries, there are inequities in access to health services that are crucial to women which highlight the gap in income amongst communities. Women in developing countries have higher rates of pregnancy than women in developed countries “rich” in resources for reproductive health needs. Many women don’t stand a chance of receiving adequate services and tools to address pregnancy and potential disease.

This has to do with how women are tended to during and after childbirth. A majority of the complications in health that women develop during pregnancy are treatable and preventable. Some health concerns may have already existed prior to pregnancy but are heightened during pregnancy. Why does this often go undetected until it’s too late for mother and child? Lack of adequate women’s care.

Practically all women who live in high-income countries attend at minimum four antenatal care visits and are attended by a skilled health worker during childbirth and receive care after delivery of the baby. Four years ago, only 40 percent of women in low-income countries who were expecting had the recommended antenatal care visits. Some other factors that prevent women from receiving or seeking care during pregnancy and childbirth include poverty, distance, lack of information, inadequate services, and cultural practices.

This brings to light the undervaluing of reproductive health services and tools to address maternal mortality and reduce rates. Severe bleeding, infections, high blood pressure during pregnancy, complications from delivery, and unsafe abortion account for close to 75 percent of all maternal deaths. All of these issues can be detected early on and addressed to prevent harm to mother and child.

As a global society, we need to put the reproductive care needs of women and children at the forefront of our world’s issues needing to be addressed. Where do we begin saving women’s lives? Invest more of our resources into advocating for and championing gender equality and the health rights of girls and women. Be a catalyst in improving access to antenatal care in pregnancy. All births need to be attended by skilled health professionals who are equipped with empathy to protect and uphold the sanctity of childbirth. Communication must be strengthened among our public health systems. Spaces must be created to bring together stakeholders who will discuss solutions and drive progress.

We must hurry. Women and children are the creators and driving forces of our world.