Call to prioritise mother, newborn health, well-being

LAHORE:Globally, close to 300,000 women lose their life due to pregnancy or childbirth each year, while over two million babies die in their first month of life and around two million more are stillborn.

That’s roughly one preventable death every seven seconds. A staggering four out of five countries are off track to meet targets for improving maternal survival by 2030. One in three will fail to meet targets for reducing newborn deaths. These views were expressed at seminar on world health day held at Lahore General Hospital by General Cadre Doctors Association Punjab in collaboration with Ameer-Ud-Din Medical College, PGMI, Lahore General Hospital and Punjab Institute of Neurosciences. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Saeed Elahi said that world Health Day will kick off a year-long campaign on maternal and newborn health. The campaign titled Healthy beginnings and hopeful futures will urge governments and the health community to ramp up efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and to prioritise women’s longer-term health and well-being. The health of mothers and babies is the foundation of healthy families and communities, helping ensure hopeful futures for us all, he said.

In a special message on world health day the principal AMC and Lahore General Hospital Prof Dr Farid Zafar said that maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period. Each stage should be a positive experience, ensuring women and their babies reach their full potential for health and well-being. The most common direct causes of maternal injury and death are excessive blood loss, infection, high blood pressure, unsafe abortion, and obstructed labour, as well as indirect causes such as anemia, malaria, and heart disease. Most maternal deaths are preventable with timely management by a skilled health professional working in a supportive environment. Promoting health along the whole continuum of pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal care is also crucial, he said.

The president General Cadre Doctors Association Dr Masood Sheikh said that there are approximately 6,500 newborn deaths every day, amounting to 47% of all child deaths under the age of 5 years. ‘Newborn deaths account for 47% of deaths among children under the age of 5 globally, resulting in 2.4 million lives lost each year. About one third of newborn deaths occur on the day of birth and close to three quarters occur within the first week of life. To ensure every child survives and thrives to reach their full potential, we must focus on improving care around the time of birth and the first week of life. The high rates of preventable death and poor health and well-being of newborns and children under the age of five are indicators of the uneven coverage of life-saving interventions and, more broadly, of inadequate social and economic development. ‘Poverty, poor nutrition and insufficient access to clean water and sanitation are all harmful factors, as is insufficient access to quality health services such as essential care for newborns. Health promotion, disease prevention services (such as vaccinations) and treatment of common childhood illnesses are essential if children are to thrive as well as survive. Premature birth, birth complications (birth asphyxia/trauma), neonatal infections and congenital anomalies remain the leading causes of neonatal deaths,’ he said. Executive director PINs Prof Asif Bashir said that health systems must evolve to manage the many health issues that impact maternal and newborn health.

Prof Nudrat Sohail during her keynote address said that Adolescent mothers (aged 10–19 years) face higher risks of eclampsia, puerperal endometritis and systemic infections than women aged 20–24 years, and babies of adolescent mothers face higher risks of low birth weight, preterm birth and severe neonatal condition. ‘This includes good nutrition, detecting and preventing diseases, ensuring access to sexual and reproductive health and supporting women who may be experiencing intimate partner violence. Representative of WHO Dr Irfan Awan said that women who receive MLCC provided by professional midwives, educated and regulated to world standards, are 16% less likely to lose their babies and 24% less likely to experience a pre-term birth.