NAME: Patrick James P.

Repaso SECTION: BSDA 2

Responsiveness of Government Policies for Mental Health and Wellness

- This agenda shall assess the current government policies in curbing maternal deaths and
recommend key strategies to reduce maternal mortality.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every day in 2020, almost 800
women died from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, and a maternal
death occurred almost every two minutes in 2020. High maternal mortality rates indicate a
significant risk to the health and well-being of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the
postpartum period. Ensuring maternal health is a fundamental human right and a key aspect
of gender equality. It also serves as an indicator of the quality and accessibility of our
healthcare services in the country, particularly in maternal and reproductive health. Women
die as a result of complications during and following pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these
complications develop during pregnancy, and most are preventable or treatable. The major
complications that account for nearly 75 percent of all maternal deaths 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. According to the data of the World Bank, the Philippine maternal mortality rate in
2002 was 129 per 100K live births, and in 2020 it was lowered to 78 per 100K live births,
though it was lessened, but that is still not a satisfactory result as Vanessa Tobin, the
UNICEF country representative for the Philippines, said in 2009 that their goal was 55–60
deaths per 100K live births. On May 15, 2023, the writer of The Philippine Star, Pia Lee-
Brago, published an article titled "UN: Philippines maternal deaths on the rise", In 2019,
1,458 women died of maternal causes. The number of maternal deaths increased to 2,478 in
2021. In a statement on Mother’s Day, Dr. Leila Saiji Joudane, country representative of
UNFPA Philippines, said the UN agency saw an increase in maternal deaths during the past
two years. "That is around six to seven Filipino women dying daily due to childbirth. During
emergencies, when access to maternal health services is disrupted, more women die during
pregnancy and childbirth," Joudane said. The problem here is that even if there is a lot of
healthcare assistance being implemented already, why is it still on the rise? What is the root
or a factor that is stopping us from lessening the mortality rate to satisfactory results or, much
better, truly eradicating the issue at hand? "We are not making sufficient progress," says
Vanessa Tobins (2009). It is common sense that, as a living being who makes up the progress
of society, it is understood that the first thing that we need to prioritize is our health—not
only our health but the health of anyone who’s willing to leave a mark on the history of our
country.

“This Mother’s Day, let us uphold the right of all people – especially mothers – to
reach the highest possible standard of health. Timely health care for pregnant women can
make the difference between life and death. No woman should die giving life,” Joudane said.