Reduction of maternal mortality. What really works? - A presentation of the Maternal and Neonatal Intervention Project at Chiradzulu District Hospital, Malawi

Abstract

Every year, around 300 000 women die from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. 99% of these deaths occur in low and middle-income countries, and are highly preventable. This paper looks at what has been proven effective when trying to reduce maternal mortality, and the challenges the developing world faces when it comes to this matter. The effect of having a skilled provider at birth and access to emergency obstetric care has been proven effective, but the effect of antenatal care has been questioned. According to the WHO, 81% of all pregnant women in the developing world attended at least one antenatal care visit in 2009. A new model of care called Focused Antenatal Care was developed by the WHO to provide better ANC in developing countries. This model requires fewer visits and more focused interventions than what has been used traditionally in the western part of the world. At Chiradzulu District Hospital in Malawi, FANC was implemented already in 2002, but a review showed that the quality of care did not meet the WHO standards. The Maternal and Neonatal Intervention Project commenced by the Kamuzu College of nursing in 2012 aimed on improving the delivery of FANC services to reduce neonatal and maternal deaths in the district. Results from this project will be presented to highlight the thesis of the paper; what really works in the battle against maternal mortality.