RI's maternal death 'the highest'

RI's maternal death 'the highest'

P.C. Naommy, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The maternal mortality rate in Indonesia has reached 373 per
100,000 births, the highest in Southeast Asia.

Chairman of the Indonesian Society of Obstetrics and
Gynecology (POGI) Suryono said on Wednesday that the lack of
awareness about reproductive health in society and inadequate
provisions in the law were behind the high number of maternal
deaths.

"Law No. 23/1992 does not provide sufficient regulations on
reproduction health and people's rights in reproduction, that's
why we need to amend it," said Suryono on the sidelines of a
hearing with House Commission VII on Wednesday.

According to Suryono, Singapore's maternal mortality rate
stands at less than 10 per 100,000 births, Malaysia at less than
50, Vietnam between 70 to 80, and the Philippines at 120.

The main factors causes of maternal deaths are hemorrhaging,
eclampsia and complications from abortions. A contributing factor
is the lack of professional assistance at delivery.

The latest joint study by POGI, the World Health Organization
and Indonesia's Ministry of Health revealed that there an
estimated 2.3 million abortions are performed each year in
Indonesia, up to 50 percent of the cases are unsafe.

The study estimated that from the 2.3 million, some 600,000
cases involved contraceptive failure, 700,000 cases were due to
poor economic conditions and one million were unwanted
pregnancies.

The draft for the amended law accommodates male and female
reproductive health, reproductive rights and a special article on
women's reproductive rights.

According to Article 70(1) of the amendment to Law No.
23/1992, every person has the right to a healthy sexual and
reproductive life, which is safe and free from coercion or
violence.

Article 71 states that the government is obligated to provide
safe, qualified, and affordable reproductive health services as
well as sufficient information about reproductive health.

Vice chairman of the commission, Ahmad Sanusi Tambunan, said
that the House's plenary meeting in early 2003 had approved the
amendment and now they were waiting for the government's
response.

"While POGI will approach the Ministry of Health, YKP will
approach President Megawati about the urgency of the law. She is
a woman and a mother, she would understand these obstacles
better," said Ninuk Widyantoro, the chairwoman of Women's Health
Foundation (YKP).

The WHO 2003 survey reported that Indonesia's Human
Development Index (HDI) dropped from 110th in 2000, to 112th in
2003 due to the decline in the quality of health in the country.
Both years the United Nations body surveyed 175 countries.

Among the indicators were the high infant mortality rate (50
out of every 1,000 births), high maternal mortality rate (373 out
of 100,000 births) and low life expectancy (66.2 years).