Maternal mortality

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   Maternal mortality

   Maternal mortality is the death of a woman during childbirth or during a pregnancy termination. According to WHO, approximately 830 women die from preventable causes related to childbirth and pregnancy complications. 75% of these causes are severe bleeding (mostly bleeding after childbirth),
infections (usually after childbirth), high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia),
complications from delivery and unsafe abortion.
It is unsurprising that in a developing country like Nigeria, problems of getting money for treatment, accessibility to health facilities, ignorance of where to go for treatments and ignorance of the option of a ceaserian section mode of delivery are among the causes of maternal mortality.
Typical scenarios where pregnant women who are undergoing labor and their relatives run to the church for their pastor/priest to pray for safe delivery of the baby as opposed to going to a medical facility are on the increase.
l recently witnessed an hospital incident where a pregnant woman in labor clearly stated 'Caesarean section is not her portion and it’s not in her family'. I then thought to myself 'Why do people still see caesarean section as a big deal'? A baby born through C.S neither looks or behaves differently so what's the problem?
The society clearly doesn't even help matters because as soon as a woman gives birth, everyone begins to ask 'Se ko ki n se C.S lo fi Bimo' (I hope you didn’t deliver through a C-section). I strongly believe the first priority should be the well being of the mother and child.
There needs to be a change of mind set amongst us and medical procedures that reduce maternal mortality should be embraced.
Together, we can reduce the rate of maternal mortality by constantly enlightening ourselves and the general community on some of its avoidable causes.

Yours truly,

Bimpe Shenbo,

general health

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