ASIA/PAKISTAN - New initiative to try to reduce maternal mortality

Peshawar (Agenzia Fides) - The provincial government of Jiber Pajtunjwa, Pakistan, has created a program for the reduction of maternal mortality which consists in offering $ 10 per visit to every pregnant woman. According to local healthcare sources in the province, only 29% of the inhabitants have advanced education and consequently they are not informed about possible complications linked to pregnancy. Pakistan is the third country in the world where there is the highest rate of maternal mortality with 275 women per 100,000 live births who die due to causes related to pregnancy, childbirth or postpartum, exceeded only by India and Nigeria. Currently only 50% of women in the province of Jiber Pajtunjwa receive minimum prenatal care.
The goal of the program is that women, thanks to the incentive, feel motivated to carry out check-ups before, during and after pregnancy. Among the challenges of the patriarchal society of Pakistan there is also that of women do not go to the hospital because they do not want to be visited by male doctors and female doctors are scarce. In addition, most of the 2.2 million inhabitants of the province live in rural areas where they have difficulties to reach primary health care centers. The authorities hope that thanks to an economic contribution women can find a way to reach health centers. Up to January 2015 about 5678 women benefited from the program. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 20/10/2015)

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