Reproductive Health Helps In Improving Maternal Health – Sec. Ona

News, RNHeals |

On a press release from the Department of Health on October 14, 2011, Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona stressed that the health sector needs to improve the access of reproductive health services to the public to promote a better maternal health in the country. This is as he addressed at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Human Rights Conference on Promoting Maternal Health: Responding to the United Nations Millenium Development Goal 5. He stated that health is important so that everyone should have access to good health services which includes reproductive health.

Hoping that the reproductive health and responsible parenthood would be considered on the legislative level to provide enough reproductive health information and services to mothers, the Secretary said numerous studies have shown that unplanned pregnancies place women at greater risk of maternal deaths.

The UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are targets set by UN to tackle the eight global developmental challenges by 2015, which include: (1) eradicate extreme hunger and poverty; (2) achieve universal primary education; (3) promote gender equality and empower women; (4) reduce child mortality; (5) improve maternal health; (6) combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; (7) ensure environmental sustainability, and (8) develop a global partnership for development.

UN estimates about 35,000 maternal deaths. In 2008, 18,000 of the deaths were from Southeast Asia. Studies in the Philippines have also shown that pre-natal care and reproductive health services are lowest among the people who belong below the poverty line.

To intervene in this health issue among poor Filipinos, DOH is getting reforms dubbed as Kalusugan Pangkalahatan that focuses on the needs of the poor. With this, the DOH enrolled about 5.2 poor families to the PhilHealth program for them to have access to healthcare.

Also, close to 10,000 RNs have already been deployed in far areas through the RNheals Program and over 40,000 Community Health Teams would be deployed to provide good health services to the public, especially to the poor.

For the full press release, visit doh.gov.ph.

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