More mothers dying while Congress sits on RH bill

By LILITA BALANE, Newsbreak

Number of pregnancy-related deaths doubled in the last four years

The average number of Filipino women who die yearly due to childbirth and pregnancy complications has doubled in the last four years, but this doesn’t seem to alarm lawmakers who continue to oppose the reproductive health bill, according to health and women’s groups.

A study by the international reproductive health research group Guttmacher Institute presented Tuesday showed that 3,500 pregnancy-related deaths were recorded in the Philippines in 2008.

It was twice the annual average—1,783 deaths—recorded by the Philippine Health Statistics from 2000 to 2004.

For every 100,000 live births last year, 200 mothers suffered from pregnancy complications—like infection, severe bleeding, hypertension, and abortion—which led to their deaths. The United Nations Population Fund explained that maternal deaths can be prevented given the proper diagnosis and intervention.

Preventable
Dr. Junice Melgar, executive director of women’s health organization Likhaan, said pregnancy-related deaths could be prevented if pregnant women, especially those who are from the poorest families and living in the rural areas, have easy access to family planning services, pre-natal check-ups, emergency obstetric care, and skilled birth attendants.

“Many of the unintended pregnancies lead to abortion. This places the life of a woman at risk,” Melgar said, adding that half of all pregnancies in the Philippines are unplanned.

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