Maternity mortality rates declining

Maternity mortality rates declining

JAKARTA (JP): Maternity mortality rates have declined to 295
per 100,000 births, Minister of Health Faried Anfasa Moeloek said
on Friday.

"This achievement is closely tied to the success of the family
planning program and the midwife profession," the minister said
when opening the 12th congress of the Indonesian Midwives
Association in Sanur, Bali.

Antara quoted him as saying that midwives had played a
significant role in handling deliveries skillfully across the
country, particularly in remote areas.

In his 1998 accountability speech to the People's Consultative
Assembly former president Soeharto said maternity mortality rates
had declined from 425 per 100,000 births in 1993 to 390 per
100,000 births in 1994.

In the past few years the government has also trained
traditional midwives and assigned professional midwives to rural
areas in an attempt to bring down maternity mortality rates.

The minister said the country had 65,000 midwives and that the
government was still trying to increase the quality and access of
their services.

The experience of many countries, he said, showed a strong
correlation between maternity mortality rates and the range of
medical services related to deliveries.

"The high maternity mortality rate is a tragedy which should
be avoided by increasing midwifery services to pregnant women and
women during delivery," said Farid, a gynecologist.

Experts have blamed lack of access to regular examinations for
pregnant women, late reports of complications and poor nutrition
of expecting mothers as reasons for maternal mortality.

The congress attended by 889 people from across the country
also featured presentations on ways to improve midwifery
services. (anr)