'Love motherhood Drive' to begin

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto will launch a nationwide campaign to curb the maternal mortality rate during the national Women's Day celebrations on Dec. 22.

Cholil Abdullah, assistant to State Minister for Women's Roles Mien Sugandhi, said yesterday the campaign, called "Love Motherhood Drive," was aimed at halving the current rate of 450 deaths a year for every 100,000 live births by the end of the sixth five-yearly development program in 1999.

The figure would be cut to only 80 deaths in every 100,000 at the conclusion of the second 25-yearly development program in 2019, said Cholil.

Cholil was speaking for Mien at a workshop on maternal mortality at the School of Medicine of the University of Indonesia in conjunction with the launching of the campaign.

He also inaugurated the "Love Motherhood Hotline" jointly run by the state-run Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital and state- owned telecommunications company PT Telkom.

"Despite its impressive economic growth, Indonesia has failed to significantly reduce the maternal mortality rate in the past decade," said Cholil.

Indonesia's maternal mortality rate was higher than the rate of other Southeast Asian countries and the average rate of developing countries, according to 1995 United Nations Development Program data.

The data puts Vietnam second among Southeast Asian countries behind Indonesia with 110. Singapore has the lowest with 10.

A Unicef study in 1991 said bleeding was the main cause of the soaring maternal death rate at 67 percent, followed by abortion at 10 percent, infection 8 percent and contamination 7 percent.

The study also found that 70 percent of the deaths occurred at home. Only 23 percent of the deaths happened in hospitals or at other medical service posts.

"Most of the lower class people opt to give birth at home, regardless their unhygienic behavior," Cholil said.

Cholil said the drive would focus on breaking down cultural, geographical and financial barriers which a play major role in causing post natal deaths.

Campaign trials have been run in eight selected regencies in West Java, Central Java, East Java, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, North Sumatra, South Sumatra and Lampung.

The Office of State Minister for Women's Roles will be in charge of the nationwide drive, while provincial jobs will be given to deputy governors. (amd)