Magnitude of Maternal Health problem in Ethiopia

Magnitude of Maternal Health problem in Ethiopia

Maternal mortality is one of the health indicator which shows the burden of disease and death; the greatest differential between developing and developed countries. More than 150 million women become pregnant in developing countries each year and an estimated 500, 000 of them die from pregnancy related causes. Other than their health problems most women in the developing countries lack access to modern health care services and increase the magnitude of death from preventable problems. Lack of access to modern health care services has great impact on increasing maternal death. Most pregnant women do not receive antenatal care; deliver with out the assistance of trained health workers etc. The life time risk of death as a result of pregnancy or child birth is estimated at one in twenty – three for women in Africa, compared to about one in 10,000 for women in Northern Europe 75% of Maternal morbidity and mortality related to pregnancy and child birth are due to five obstetric causes.

Hemorrhage, sepsis (infection), toxemia obstructed labor and complications from unsafe abortion.

As Ethiopia is one of the developing countries with inadequate facilities and resources having highest maternal morbidity and mortality and poor coverage of maternal is estimated to be 1000/100,000 live birth. In Ethiopia women get antenatal care are around 905, 283 and overall the national antenatal care coverage in 34.7%. Among this pregnant woman only 259,083 are attended institutional delivery making the national coverage of 10%. Unwanted and unplanned pregnancies are important determinants of maternal in health. So from 1,769,171 of women child bearing age expected to use family planning 635,105 of them use family planning and the national coverage is only 18.7%.Abortion, HIV/AIDS and STIs are also another conditions that increase maternal morbidity and mortality. These all indicated that the maternal health care is too less in Ethiopia.