Safe Motherhood Day

National Safe Mother hood day is the initiative of the White Ribbon Alliance India (WRAI) to ensure that pregnant women, new mothers and their families have access to proper prenatal and postnatal care. The day also marks the birth anniversary of Kasturba Gandhi.

This year the theme of National Safe Motherhood Day is to stay home amid the corona-virus and protect mother and baby from viral infections. It has been classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern since the outbreak of Covid19. The Safe Motherhood Initiative focuses on the four leading causes of maternal death: maternal sepsis, obstetric hemorrhage (severe bleeding), venous thromboembolism (blood clots) and severe hypertension in pregnancy (high blood pressure).

The incidence of maternal sepsis was 9.4/1000 live births & maternal deaths were 22.7%. Maternal sepsis can easily be avoided by preventing and treating infections immediately and ensuring clean birthing/delivery practices. Additionally, regular vaccinations and prenatal care can lower the risk factors for maternal sepsis. Obstetric hemorrhage, a condition where the mother looses more than 500 ml blood after child birth is responsible for 30 % of maternal deaths In India. A combination of quality antenatal care, skilled care at birth by active management of third stage of labour, the availability of high-quality emergency obstetric care (with trained medical personnel and adequate infrastructure) and improved access to these services are essential to save many maternal lives.

According to the records from World Health Organization, nearly 830 women die daily from preventable causes associated with pregnancy. It is stated that maternal mortality rates in impoverished nations may reach 99 percent. India is among the most high-risk countries to give birth. Every year more than 35,000 women in India lose their life due to the non-availability of proper care during pregnancy. As per the report by the Registrar General of India the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is a critical indicator of maternal health in India, estimated to be 103 per 1,00,000 live births.

There are several government schemes that exists for woman during and post pregnancy such as Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, but the rollout and access of these schemes to the general public needs to be strengthened by increasing public awareness.

To assure the safety and health of all women during pregnancy and childbirth, it is mandatory to empower “Safe Motherhood".

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