Maternal Health Status

The health status of pregnant women and their unborn children are important public health issues worldwide, as many low income countries struggle to provide the recommended level of care. Maternal health is such a widespread issue, that the United Nations have included it as one of their eight Millennium Development goals in which they provide recommendations and guidelines for health improvements internationally (Lomazzi, Borisch, & Laaser, 2014). The health of mothers is closely linked with the overall health of their children, as they act as the primary caretakers of the household. Poverty, lack of access to healthcare, the low status of women in society, and poor health infrastructure are factors that contribute to the decreased health …show more content…
Maternal deaths are calculated by determining how many deaths are attributed to childbirth or pregnancy related issues before, during, or shortly after birth. Calculating the number of maternal deaths in relation to the number of live births is called the maternal mortality ratio. “Globally, there were an estimated 289,000 maternal deaths in 2013,” with the majority being in sub-Saharan Africa (179,000) and South Asia (69,000) (Alkema et al., p. 1, 2014). Of those 179,000 maternal deaths in sub-Saharan Africa, Ghana accounted for 3,100 of them. The global maternal mortality ratio as of 2013 was 210 deaths per 100,000 live births. Sub-Saharan Africa had a maternal mortality ratio of 510 deaths per 100,000 lives births, and Ghana had a maternal mortality ratio of 380 deaths per 100,000 live births, making the lifetime risk of maternal death in Ghana 1 in 66 (Alkema et al., 2014). Both sub-Saharan Africa and Ghana have much higher maternal mortality rates than the global average and thus, poor maternal health …show more content…
Associations Many maternal deaths are related to complications during pregnancy. The top five pregnancy related causes of maternal deaths in Ghana are hemorrhage, abortion, hypertension, infections, and ectopic pregnancy (Der et al., 2013). These complications, while serious, are largely preventable and treatable with the aid of health professionals. The lack of prenatal care, failure to seek care, and having unsafe abortions without the guidance of medical professionals are factors that contribute to these unnecessary deaths (Der et al., 2013). Where an expecting mother lives is associated with the likelihood of her utilizing health facilities during her pregnancy. Those who live in rural areas are less likely to utilize health care services (Arthur, 2012). This is due to the fact that the majority of facilities are in cities or urban areas. The closest facilities are often further away from those living in rural settings than those living in urban settings. Additionally, transportation issues may prevent some women from accessing care (Arthur, 2012). If an expecting mother has no vehicle or has to take a long ride on public transportation to get to a facility, it may prohibit her from going at all. If money is also an issue, the cost of getting to the facility may be too