Maya Bienzen
Peru
3rd Main Committee
Maternal Mortality in Rural Areas
Over the past hundred years, the rate of maternal mortality has continued to constantly fluctuate on a global scale. Peru has been working hard to make changes in healthcare to allow for safer and cleaner births and to help lessen the spread of disease. However, the country lacks in providing the same treatment for rural areas, where the death statistics remain stationary.
Peru’s maternal mortality rate, which was previously one of the highest in the region, has significantly decreased since the 1990s. In 2010 there were 67 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births, significantly less compared to the 200 deaths in 1990 just 20 years prior. The lifetime risk of maternal death was 1 in 570 in 2010, which has also greatly improved from 1 in 120 in 1990.
A report done in 2007, stated that the five main causes of maternal death in Peru included: hemorrhage, pre-eclampsia, infection, complications following abortion and obstructed birth. Of all maternal births, 27% occured at some point throughout the duration of the pregnancy, 26% during the live birth and 46% in the first six weeks following the delivery. The report also stated that Peruvian women died from lack of access to emergency obstetric care, general information on maternal health and the inability to communicate with staff members.
The great divide between rich and poor is also showcased in the rate of maternal mortality. In Peru 23% of women are indigenous and the deaths have a higher concentration in the rural areas in which they reside. Women in rural areas do not have easy access to a health facility, resulting in at home births without the presence of a skilled birth attendant.
The Peruvian government’s plan has aimed to expand the coverage of prenatal checkups, and institutional care at childbirth. The plan consists of the creation of policies to provide drugs for free care facilities in poor communities, train more health practitioners in emergency obstetric care and maternal health care, and training health professionals in indigenous languages. There is also an intent to increase the number of waiting houses/rooms where mothers who are expecting can stay in.
Health workers and non-governmental organizations have also jumped in on the issue and are adding in their own attempts to improve the situation. For example, in the Santillana district of Ayacucho health workers sought understanding for why women were avoiding birthing at the local clinic and then went a step further and reached out for the communities input. Their findings included the language divide and women and families disapproval of certain clinic policies that did not follow their traditions. For instance, workers kept husbands and other family members in another room, forced women to wear hospital gowns instead of their own clothes, had them lie down while birthing as opposed to squatting, and discarded the placenta instead of giving in to the family. Health Unlimited, a non profit organization, has intervened and helped to change maternal health services and make other changes to fit local customs.
Overall, Peru has been working hard to decrease the rate of maternal mortality throughout all communities. The country is in support of funding projects to help with bettering the health care system to make it easier to access and more user friendly. Peru looks forward to communicating and collaborating with other nations to help lessen the effects of this pressing issue.