Maternal and Child Health

Main reasons for maternal and child mortality in dveloping countries vary from one country to another. The first reason of maternal and child mortality in developing countries is deseases. Most of these deseases are preventable or treated. Another problem is undernutrition. Wmen before, at pregnance time and after delivery lack diet food which make them susceptible to different diseases.

Globally, more than half a million women die each year because of complication related to pregnancy and child birth. Of the estimated 536,000 maternal deaths worldwide in 2005, developing countries accounted for more than 99 percent. About half of the maternal deaths (265,000)occured in Sub-Saharan Africa alone and one third took place in South Asia (187,000). In the readings different causes of maternal and child mortality were enumerated such as complication of abortion, haemorrhage, obstructed labour, the hypertensive disorder of pregnance and many others.

In Tanzania for example, main causes include malaria and HIV/AIDs. Malaria is number one. this is so because most women go to hospital late and some of the health centers are very far, as the result most women die on the way to hospital. this is also no new born child. Because health centers are very far, most women found it hard to take theif children to hospital frequently as the result they fail to monitor the growth of their baby.

Child mortality is closely linked to povery. Is so because most death occured in developing coutries compared to developed one. Improvement in public health services are essential, including safe water and better sanitation. Education, especially for girls and mother, will also save children's lives. Raising income can help, but little will be achieved unless a greater effort is made to ensure that services reach those who need them most. Problem is here, most health services need payment, and most of people in developing countries are not able to pay, as the result they failed to take their children to hospital for treatment. In Tanzania women are not able to buy even mosquito nets.

Reduction of maternal and child mortality. Here a lot need to be done. Women and girls should be given education before starting reproduction, during pregnance and so forth. Governments should provide free health serivice to women and proper vaccination to children. In case of malaria, each women with a baby under 5 should be given free mosquito net. Health center should be close to people so as to reduce distance in searching for health services.

Infact there are similarities in reducing maternal and child mortality. Education can play role, if you educate girls or women about maternal you should also include education about taking care of the child. All these go hand in hand, is the same as killing two birds by one stone. If you provide mosquito net, it is for mother and the child.

References
www.childinfo.org/mortality_challenge.html
www.childinfo.org/maternal_mortlaity.html

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