?
A maternal death is defined as the death of a woman while pregnant
or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, from any cause
related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management.
Reference:
Reduction of Maternal Mortality
A Joint WHO/UNFPA/ UNICEF/ World Bank Statement, WHO, 1999)
For
most women around the world, childbirth and motherhood are normal
and healthy experiences. However, for many mothers and newborns
it can also mean death or long term illness resulting from preventable
complications related to pregnancy and childbirth.
It
has been estimated that every minute of the day, somewhere in
the world, one woman dies because of complications that arise
during pregnancy and childbirth. This results to almost 600,000
deaths annually. Of these, almost 90 percent deaths occur in developing
countries, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. In Nepal
every year, 4, 500 women dies of pregnancy and childbirth related
complications i.e. 12 women per day or one every two hours.
In
Nepal, women’s health is not a priority within the family or even
to the women herself. Women do not see the need to seek health
care until their state becomes so serious that it interferes with
daily work. Pregnancy is viewed as a routine condition that requires
no change in habits or special care. 89% of the deliveries took
place at home, usually under septic conditions. Many women delivers
in fields far from their house and in some parts of the country,
many women are traditionally confined to the cowshed. Most of
the deliveries are attended by the family members or untrained
traditional birth attendants. Only 8% of the deliveries are attended
by the skilled birth attendants. Other barriers to women health
care include poverty, distance to service facilities, lack of
roads, lack of transport and lack of emergency services
For
most women around the world, childbirth and motherhood are normal
and healthy experiences. However, for many mothers and newborns
it can also mean death or long term illness resulting from preventable
complications related to pregnancy and childbirth.
In
Nepal, women’s health is not a priority within the family or even
to the women herself. Women do not see the need to seek health
care until their state becomes so serious that it interferes with
daily work. Pregnancy is viewed as a routine condition that requires
no change in habits or special care. 89% of the deliveries took
place at home, usually under septic conditions. Many women delivers
in fields far from their house and in some parts of the country,
many women are traditionally confined to the cowshed. Most of
the deliveries are attended by the family members or untrained
traditional birth attendants. Only 8% of the deliveries are attended
by the skilled birth attendants. Other barriers to women health
care include poverty, distance to service facilities, lack of
roads, lack of transport and lack of emergency services