Maternal Health

“Maternal Health” is a millennium development goal still in progress.  According to The Center for Health and Gender equity approximately 74,000 of these deaths are due to unsafe abortion. Millions of women experience serious, debilitating health conditions as a result of pregnancy and childbirth complications each year. According to the World Population Data Sheet infant mortality rate is very high at 30. The ENHOGAR 2006 survey showed that 95% of the pregnant women receive pre-natal care, and that 96% of births are within a health care facility, 97% of these in the presence of qualified personnel.  In the Dominican Republic they are educating nurses and doctors techniques for obstetric procedures, with the goal of lowering the country’s high maternal mortality rate. In 2002, there were 178 maternal deaths for every 100,000 births, mostly caused by preventable complications, such as infections or hemorrhaging. The training course provides health care professionals with the information they need to recognize and address certain situations immediately — when the right care and attention can make all the difference. (Training to Reduce Maternal Mortality. 2011. USAID)