More Attention Must Be Made On Maternal and Child Mortality

By Soy Sophea

Developing countries are facing many problems and they need clear and strict measures to solve the problems. Maternal mortality (pregnant mother) has occurred many years ago since an ancient time while the developed countries have almost eliminated these problems but the developing countries have continued to face the problems including Cambodia.

Raksmei Kampuchea Newspaper volume 15, issue 4425 published Thursday 01 November 2007 stated that Royal Government of Cambodia is paying attention to promote women’s roles in society but efforts to reduce mortality rate for pregnant women are limited that mortality has not been reduced within the last five years. The newspaper continued that according to a study about health in 2005 has shown that 472 women died in 100,000 cases when they delivered babies and 437 women died in 2000 when they delivered their babies.

The same source said in Cambodia there are about 3,000 midwives must most of them are staying in the city and suburb that have caused about 50 percent of health centers in Cambodia do not have enough midwives and can not work. Facing the problems the Cambodia government has encouraged midwives to take care pregnant women until they deliver their babies. If the mother and baby both survive after delivery, a midwife who lives in remote area will receive 50,000 riel and 40,000 riel for the midwife who lives in the city, but in case the mother dies, the midwife does not receive any money.

The Cambodian Government of the National Assembly in the fourth mandate has regarded health sector is a priority sector among others in the government rectangular strategy’s side four in chapter two. “…The Royal Government will continue to focus on the implementation of prevention programs and combat communicable diseases and promote maternal and child health care to reduce the maternal and infant mortality, improve emergency services and provide health and sanitation education and information, especially in the rural areas. The poor shall be entitled to free health care in referral hospitals and health centers. Equity funds designed to help the poor in accession quality of health care services will be further strengthened and expanded.”1

According to United Nationals Development Programme’s report published October 2005 stated that one child among 10 children died before one year old. Even though, the economy has improved and other developments but under five year-old child mortality had increased in the past 10 years. The updated figure of 124 Cambodian children under five year-old died among 1,000 new born children compared to the past ten years (1995-2005) there were only 115 died.2

The same UNDP’s report stated that Cambodia might not fulfill goal five of Cambodia Millennium Development Goals until Cambodia has actual activities to improve ability of health officers, training, improve hygiene and enough budget for the health sector.

If we look at other neighboring countries of Cambodia, we have observed that maternal mortality in Cambodia is higher than Vietnam that there were only 150 died among 100,000 people while there were 110 people died in Thailand and 660 people died in Lao which was higher than Cambodia.3

Furthermore, there are many other important issues that contributed to the high maternal mortality such as the lack of health staff, low education, the lack of knowledge among pregnant women. The Cambodian government should promote rights to receive health care, increase health staff who received good training and other strategy to encourage them including to conduct campaign to provide them with information and increase the budget for health sector. For the public health care programs [the government] should work with NGOs as partners to make sure that all families have the rights to receive health care start from pregnant, delivery and until the children growth, this to replace the existing insufficient health care. These works will support the child if the mother and child health care are paid attention.

In order to make sure that all family members to receive government’s attention, the health infrastructure system must be effectively speeded. Furthermore, the government must increase budget every year in the government annual budget for the Ministry of Health. //