RI's maternal mortality rate highest in SE Asia<\/p>\n
P.C. Naommy
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The maternal mortality rate in Indonesia has reached 373 per
\n100,000 births, the highest in Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Indonesian Society of Obstetrics and
\nGynecology (POGI) Suryono said on Wednesday that the lack of
\nawareness about reproductive health in society and inadequate
\nprovisions in the law were behind the high number of maternal
\ndeaths.<\/p>\n
"Law No. 23\/1992 does not provide sufficient regulations on
\nreproduction health and people's rights in reproduction, that's
\nwhy we need to amend it," said Suryono on the sidelines of a
\nhearing with House Commission VII on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
According to Suryono, Singapore's maternal mortality rate
\nstands at less than 10 per 100,000 births, Malaysia at less than
\n50, Vietnam between 70 to 80, and the Philippines at 120.<\/p>\n
The main factors causes of maternal deaths are hemorrhaging,
\neclampsia and complications from abortions. A contributing factor
\nis the lack of professional assistance at delivery.<\/p>\n
The latest joint study by POGI, the World Health Organization
\nand Indonesia's Ministry of Health revealed that there an
\nestimated 2.3 million abortions are performed each year in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
The study estimated that from the 2.3 million, some 600,000
\ncases involved contraceptive failure, 700,000 cases were due to
\npoor economic conditions and one million were unwanted
\npregnancies.<\/p>\n
The draft for the amended law accommodates male and female
\nreproductive health, reproductive rights and a special article on
\nwomen's reproductive rights.<\/p>\n
According to Article 70(1) of the amendment to Law No.
\n23\/1992, every person has the right to a healthy sexual and
\nreproductive life, which is safe and free from coercion or
\nviolence.<\/p>\n
Article 71 states that the government is obligated to provide
\nsafe, qualified, and affordable reproductive health services as
\nwell as sufficient information about reproductive health.<\/p>\n
Vice chairman of the commission, Ahmad Sanusi Tambunan, said
\nthat the House's plenary meeting in early 2003 had approved the
\namendment and now they were waiting for the government's
\nresponse.<\/p>\n
"While POGI will approach the Ministry of Health, YKP will
\napproach President Megawati about the urgency of the law. She is
\na woman and a mother, she would understand these obstacles
\nbetter," said Ninuk Widyantoro, the chairwoman of Women's Health
\nFoundation (YKP).<\/p>\n
The WHO 2003 survey reported that Indonesia's Human
\nDevelopment Index (HDI) dropped from 110th in 2000, to 112th in
\n2003 due to the decline in the quality of health in the country.
\nBoth years the United Nations body surveyed 175 countries.<\/p>\n
Among the indicators were the high infant mortality rate (50
\nout of every 1,000 births), high maternal mortality rate (373 out
\nof 100,000 births) and low life expectancy (66.2 years).<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ris-maternal-mortality-rate-highest-in-se-asia-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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