Maternal Mortality in India: Problems and Strategies

Abstract

In developing countries like India, maternal mortality ratio is still very high. Different socio demographic factors are responsible beside the medical factors for this high ratio. Government of India has taken many steps for the improvement of health of pregnant and nursing women and women in reproductive age group. But, the result is not satisfactory enough as far as the maternal mortality ratio is considered. Early age of marriage among women, early age of pregnancy, high birth rates, and less spacing between two deliveries are some social factors which cause increase in maternal mortality ratio. Beside these, high rate of malnutrition among women is also considered to be a social problem. On the other hand, medical conditions, like ante-partum hemorrhage, post-partum hemorrhage, anemia, eclampsia, ectopic pregnancy, rupture uterus also form a significant proportion of maternal mortalitybut most of these are preventable. In this scenario the review work was done to find out the problem of maternal mortality in India, its causes and possible ways of preventing it as well as to find out the strategies undertaken by Government to reduce it.