Discussion and Reflection
My research and experiences of working with communities on issues of maternal health in Ghana suggest that effective training, engagement and monitoring and supervision of TBAs could be beneficial to improvements in maternal and newborn health. During the six months that the author conducted research with women and healthcare providers in Ghana, it was clear that TBAs still occupy an important position in maternal healthcare provisioning in Ghana. Qualitative interviews and regular interaction and conversation with community members, women, and TBAs suggested that TBAs are often seen as easily accessible and culturally competent and acceptable providers of maternity care services, particularly births at home in rural
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Ghana is progressively aiming to be a modern state, and therefore the power of modernity shapes ideas and practices relating to reproductive health policy and planning. For instance, Ghana’s Reproductive Health Strategic Plan (2007-2011) emphasizes the reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity through the modernization of obstetric care. Like Harrison (2011), I would concede that the optimal intervention to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes might be to encourage all women to seek care from skilled health personnel. For instance access to skilled ANC at government health facilities can facilitate the detection and treatment of problems during pregnancy and provides an opportunity for health workers to inform women about their health and the danger signs associated with a pregnancy. It is during an antenatal care visit that screening for complications and advice on a range of maternity-related issues take place, including counseling about healthy lifestyles. Studies have even suggested that early and regular contact with a formal healthcare system during pregnancy may also contribute to timely and effective use of services during and after delivery or in the event of an obstetric complication (Guliani et al, 2012, Yesuf et al, 2013). Similarly, it has been observed that a considerable number of problems that lead to maternal and newborn deaths occur during the postpartum period (Titaley et al, 2010). In particular, the first 48 hours following delivery are critical for detecting and monitoring potential complications that if unattended, could result in the death of mothers and newborns. Therefore access to and use of post-delivery care services in government health facilities where skilled birth attendants are likely to be
After reading the book which mentions the maternal and neonatal situation in Mali, one of the poorest countries in the world, is pitiable. (1) Child birth takes place under lantern light, in Mud bricks with profuse sweating without electricity, no running water, no emergency backup. With only the grace of God and the skill of a midwife that child birth takes place in remote villages in the country of Mali, West Africa, having the third highest total fertility
We are here faced with the polar opposite extremes in birthing. Seemingly, if a woman has too little prenatal care and education regarding birthing (as in Africa) she may not have the access to a Cesarean when she truly needs it; and at the other end of the spectrum if a woman has enveloped herself in a system that relies too heavily on birthing technologies she may end up with an unnecessary Cesarean surgery. Other paradigms exist for birthing such as in Holland where every woman is provided with a midwife for her birth, and Brazil where the C-section rate tops 80 percent. Yet another microcosmic pocket of birth in the U.S. shows us that C-section rates can be achieved at below 2%.
Cook, Selig, Wedge, and Gohn-Baube (1999) stated that an essential part of the country’s public health agenda is to improve access to prenatal care, particularly for economically disadvantaged women. I agree with this statement because access to care is very important for the outcome of a healthy mother and child. Improving access to prenatal care for disadvantaged women will not only save lives but also lighten the high financial, social, and emotional costs of caring for low weight babies. Some of the barriers that these women face are mainly structural where the availability of care is limited; the cost of care is a financial burden; and the time to seek care is problematic due to being single mothers working more than one job (Lia-Hoagberb, 1990). Additionally, there is the issue of prenatal care being delivered differently depending on one’s race. A study found that White mothers delivering ve...
In the article of “Advocates for Health MDGs Unite to Demand World Leaders Honor Funding Commitments” (July 21, 2009), PHR is calling on the convening of the UN General Assembly Governments committed themselves to immediately stop the worldwide women die in pregnancy and childbirth at an alarming rate. In the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) High-Level Meeting on September 25 in advance, International Initiative partners PHR and maternal mortality and human rights issued a call on governments to focus the fifth goal, and one has seen the least progress - maternal
In the world of midwifery, women in particular are the main focus of primary care. In addition, it is about being with the women, in partnership with the women and delivering women centered care. In the perspective of midwives, it is important that women view midwives as the supporters of their journey rather than midwives doing their jobs. (Carolan & Hodnett, 2007). Midwives are the primary providers of maternity care. They have the role and responsibility to deliver continual care throughout a women's naivety and ensures that the women receive optimal care and support. Over the time of pregnancy and beyond, women and midwives have the time to create trust and develop a sense of bonding with one another. Antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum
In 2008, 358,000 women died due to complications associated with pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these preventable deaths occurred in developing countries, with a substantial number occurring in Africa. In addition, when a mother dies from pregnancy related causes their children who survive are 10 times more likely to die within two years than those with two living parents. Furthermore, many women who survive childbirth experience serious illness, injury, or disability caused by pregnancy-related complications. Maternal morbidity includes uterine prolapse, pelvic inflammatory disease, vescio-vaginal fistulas, urinary and fecal incontinence, infertility and discomfort during intercourse among other lasting effects of pregnancy...
Both birth and the postpartum period involve a certain degree of danger for the birthing mother, her nascent child, and her entire family or community. Because childbirth is so dangerous (the average lifetime risk of dying from pregnancy related causes is about one in fifteen in some poor countries, MacCormack 1), most cultures have distinct patterns that determine how the birthing process will be carried out. The birthing process involves different birthing positions; different rules concerning who is allowed to be present during the time of birth; mechanisms for deciding where birth takes place; and different ways by which mother and child deal with labor, birth and postpartum. "As a life crisis event, birth is everywhere a candidate for consensual shaping and social regulation the particular pattern depending on local history, ecology, social structure, technological development, and the like" (Jordan 4). By exploring the original human condition of childbirth one is able to gain insight into the universal biosocial phenomenon known as the birthing process.
Developing nations are plagued by high maternal mortality rates, unwanted pregnancies, and family planning policies that aim to control population growth through sterilization and unsafe birth control drugs. In such harsh settings, traditional midwives are important and effective agents of women’s wellness and family planning policy. This essay will evaluate the community roles of professional versus traditional midwives in rural Asia, including discussion regarding the meager respect afforded traditional midwives by physicians and clinic staff without acknowledging the work they accomplish with such limited resources. Analysis of the results of midwife training programs will compare government-sponsored programs’ curricula to outreach education by colleagues from the international community, showing that these professional midwives provide methods for integrating traditional midwives into professional (hospital) circles as well as offering more realistic approaches to midwives in indigenous communities in the face of Western biomedicine’s influx into government policy. Data will also be presented that suggests that maternal mortality rates are reduced as a result of pre- and post-partum care from midwives, and that education and home visits by midwives helps advance women’s status by increasing their ability to regulate their fertility.
I first considered a public health career when I interned at the Ghana Health Service Family Health Department as an undergraduate student. Participating in national meetings focused on strategies to reduce maternal mortality in Ghana, I recognized that, in order to create sustainable advances, it is crucial to address the underlying social inequalities that exacerbate adverse health outcomes. To advance this goal, I am seeking admission into the Global Health and Population Doctoral Program at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Maternal health has been seen as an issue of immediate concern for the developing countries. Socio-cultural factors in many developing countries particularly; those in Asia are leading to increased maternal mortality due to poor health. This fact can be seen from the social and cultural trends in these countries because of these factors various disabilities, inadequacies and even deaths are increasing. Differential in socio-economic status are seen for most conditions diseases and risk factors in this country. The social distribution of health and the social causes, which most affect health, must be understood and addressed.
Access to health care in Ethiopia has left many people without proper health care and eventual death. Millions of people living in Ethiopia die because of the lack of access to the health care system; improving the access to the healthcare system in Ethiopia can prevent many of the deaths that occur, but doing so will pose a grueling and challenging task. According to Chaya (2012), poor health coverage is of particular concern in rural Ethiopia, where access to any type of modern health institution is limited at best (p. 1). If citizen of Ethiopia had more accessibility of the healthcare system more individuals could be taught how to practice safe health practices. In Ethiopia where HIV, and maternal and infant mortality rates are sky high, more education on the importance of using the healthcare system and makin...
However, nurses in the maternity ward have expressed their deepest concerns about meeting the needs of first time mother on discharge education during their stay in the hospital. Some of the nurses’ concerns include the lack of time and the amount of information they are required to equip the first time mothers to care for their newborn. Mothers have also reported dissatisfaction with the discharge education provided by the hospital. One of which that causes their frustration was the inconsistent breast feeding information and the need for more information about newborn care which was not covered by the hospital. (Barbara L. Buchko C. H., National Center for Biotechnology Info...
Differences in living conditions, healthcare, diet, access to doctors, politics and overall infrastructure are all critical factors that separate the most successful and least successful areas in experiencing pregnancy and the birthing process. The best we can do for countries that struggle to achieve sufficient levels of successful births, is look at the successful countries such as Norway, or other Scandinavian countries and try to emulate what is being done there. Although the overall infrastructure of the DR Congo needs a great amount of improvement, it is never too early to look at, study and applaud the regulations and policies of those who are at the forefront of healthcare and a healthy birthing experience.
“ Being a Motherhood is a choice you make every day, to put someone else's happiness and well-being ahead of your own, to teach the hard lessons, to do the right thing even when you're not sure what the right thing is...and to forgive yourself, over and over again, for doing everything wrong.” MMMMM. Being mother is one of the most blessed and the most challenging job in the world. Giving birth to a new life and making it walk through the new world holding its hands showing a good trail makes a mother victorious in her life. In this modern world women’s attitude against pregnancy and being a mother is changing accordingly. There occurs so many miscarriages and maternal death during the pregnancy. A woman should be physically, and more over mentally set to have a baby in her womb. Considering the biological fitness of health it’s said that safer age to be get pregnant is in between 20 to 29. Early pregnancy in the teenage age of 13 to 20 and the delayed motherhood age after 35 is challenging to the health of mother as well as the birth of the child causing currently social issues India.
That is 545 deaths per every 100,000 successful deliveries. Also, a woman’s chance of dying from “pregnancy and childbirth in Nigeria is 1 in 13” (Abara 2012) Nearly 50% of Nigerian women are mothers before they turn 20. There in inability to access quality 6 health care services, poor access to safe childbirth services and lack of adequate and affordable emergency care. In some parts of the country, religion does not allow women to deliver in the hospital. Also, the husbands are not to be happy to see their wives opening up to a doctor for any from of virginal exanimations. So from a young age, the girl child is taught how to deliver her baby unassisted. This leads to infections and death. Also, gender inequality is imbedded in Nigerian society and culture. Although women do have rights to land, the patriarchal society dictates that their rights are weaker than a man 's. This shows the unequal distribution of power between man and women. Women have a very high fertility rate of six children per woman, due to the pressure on her to give birth to boys who can inherit and own land. As said by Newbury, “If a woman has a girl first, she is more likely to have more children, not use contraceptives, have short periods between pregnancies, and be subjected to polygamy” (Newbury 2004). Each of these factors increases a woman 's vulnerability to