WMSM 2013: Providing the best healthcare for pregnant women

We often take for granted the many types of ‘luxuries’ that we enjoy in our country including the readily available healthcare for pregnant women, but little do we know about the trials and tribulations of women from more remote parts of the world, who die without proper heathcare.

In an enlightening presentation on birthing in the Pacific, Soroptimist International Australia Federation Project Head, May Lamont, shared the Papua New Guinea pregnant women’s struggles to stay alive in order to give a new life.

“A woman in labour in Papua New Guinea, not only has to go through tremendous physical pain to give birth to her child.

“In the state of pain, she has to cross a narrow bridge across a river to get to birthing facilities due to lack of transportation.

“Her unskilled midwife is only armed with a scalpel, a simple towel and a torch for visibility at night in a country that does not have established electricity,” Lamont said at the second day of the World Marketing Summit Malaysia 2013.

Lamont, said that the maternal mortality rate in the region is one of the highest in the world as it faces issues of birthing infrastructure needed to provide the services required to affect any change.

“In Papua New Guinea, there is a rapid declination of the midwife workforce.

“The majority of birthing takes place in villages, in gardens, along roads and in the little hamlets in the thick jungle in the mountains,” said Lamont who are among a handful volunteers who assist pregnant women in this formidable but imperative task in the country.

Meanwhile, in educating the summit delegates about the importance of maternal care, Malaysia AIDS Council chairman, Datuk Dr. Raj Karim said 75 per cent maternal deaths can be avoided if a woman is able to plan her family and has access to modern contraception of her choice.

“Each maternal death is a tragedy and an unnecessary waste of a precious life.

“Skilled care during delivery is a basic need and it is a right of every woman to be attended to by a trained and skilled health personnel.

“Complications of pregnancy such as hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, anemia, bleeding, abnormal lie and others can arise anytime and must be treated early to prevent severe complications and death,” she said.

Raj also explained that among the steps to improve maternal health and reduce maternal mortality is to correct gender disparity, imbalance and women’s inequality, to eliminate poverty and to provide education and skills training for girls and women.

The WMSM 2013 is a three day dialogue-filled, “think-tank” congregation of minds, happening at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC).

The WMSM 2013 aims to revolutionise the way people think, live and act as individuals within their community, nation and the global context.

The Summit in 2013 is held from 28th to 30th September.

More information about the Summit can be found at www.wmsmalaysia.org