The Dharwad chapter of the Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) will embark on a new programme to bring down maternal mortality rate in 58 select villages of the district, FPAI president Ratnamala Desai has said.
Speaking to presspersons here on Monday, Dr. Desai said that FPAI has selected these 58 villages with high maternal mortality rate in Dharwad taluk for the implementation of this new programme. As per a survey by a health agency, maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate are high in Dharwad taluk. More than 133 maternal deaths occurred for every one lakh deliveries. By the next year, FPAI aims to reduce it to less than 100 maternal deaths, she added.
Studies conducted have revealed that about 50 % of pregnant women ignored periodical check-up and accessed healthcare only at their convenience. They go to hospitals with high-risk pregnancy which is the biggest challenge for health facilities, especially public health facility, to prevent death of both the mother and child or either one of them. “Even if the mother and child survived, we see an anaemic mother or children born underweight,” she said. Lack of nutritious food is leading to malnutrition in mothers. The population of malnourished mothers is growing as they lack iron. Though doctors advise pregnant women to take 100 iron tablets during the last trimester, the women complete ignore it. As much as 80 % of pregnant women and 50 % women in India suffer from anaemia as they are lacking in haemoglobin, she added.
Under this project, FPAI aims to reach out to every household in the 58 villages of Dharwad taluk and conduct tests for haemoglobin levels. If any such woman is found with deficient haemoglobin, she would be referred to the nearest hospital either for blood transfusion or for iron medicine. Under this programme, 1,500 children aged less than one in the 58 villages will be covered.
The programme includes monitoring and provision of periodical check-up, identifying of high risk cases and helping them overcome health problems during pregnancy and lactation. FPAI aims at bringing down maternal and child mortality rates through an innovative approach, she said and added that the Deshpande Foundation of Hubballi is funding this programme.
About infant mortality rate, former FPAI president Rajan Deshpande said that as parents did not show much interest in getting their infants immunised during the first year, the chances of mortality increases. The slogan for this year is: No born child should die. Hence, to reduce infant mortality rate, a series of programmes is being conducted and health facilitators are travelling to the remotest villages and educating people on getting their infants immunised, he added.
FPAI Manager Sujatha Anishettar and others were present at the press conference.
