Ministry of Health & Environment

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Director of Family Health Services and focal point for Reproductive Health and Safe Motherhood in the Ministry of Health and Environment, Dr. Karen Lewis-Bell (centre), discusses the revised maternal booklet with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Deputy Representative for the English and Dutch Speaking Caribbean, Jaime Nadal-Roig and reproductive health epidemiologist, Professor McCaw-Binns (right), at a JIS 'Think Tank' on April 30.

The Ministry of Health and Environment has launched a health promotion campaign focusing on safe motherhood, in order to achieve a maternal mortality rate of 25 per 100,000 live births by 2015.

The move forms part of its strategic plan for the period 2007 to 2011, which focuses on all the components of safe motherhood, including an enabling policy environment, quality of care, surveillance and health promotion. However, deliberately absent is family planning, as there is a specific strategic plan for the same period.

Director of Family Health Services and the focal point for Reproductive Health and Safe Motherhood in the Ministry of Health and Environment, Dr. Karen Lewis-Bell made this disclosure at the weekly JIS 'Think Tank', at its headquarters on Half-Way Tree Road in Kingston on April 30.

"We are guided by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and goal number five, which asks countries to reduce by 75 per cent the maternal mortality ratio. For Jamaica what that means is that we should end up with a maternal mortality ratio of about 25 by the year 2015. We are currently at 95 per 100,000 live births," she informed.

As such, the campaign will be integral in reaching the desired ratio of 25 per 100,000.

So far, as part of the campaign, the Ministry has revised the 'take home' maternal record, which was previously a sheet of paper that had information about a current pregnancy, minus the information regarding previous pregnancies.

"We have revised this into a booklet that has provisions for continuity of care for up to three pregnancies. We chose three pregnancies because our fertility rate is 2.4, so what that means is that on average, women have 2.4 live births throughout their life time," she explained, adding that the Ministry was in no way promoting three or four pregnancies for women.

Indeed, what the Ministry desires is to provide adequate information to women for them to make informed choices about their care. Therefore, included in the book is an 'act now card', which was created by noted reproductive health epidemiologist, Professor Affette McCaw-Binns.

"When hypertensive disorder in pregnancy occurs, which is still the leading cause of maternal deaths, and other complications during pregnancy, such as haemorrhaging, women need to be aware of these complications so that they can have early care," Dr. Lewis-Bell explained.

Initially, this card was given to high risk pregnant women; however, the decision was taken to make it available within the maternal booklet to all pregnant women.

According to the Director, the booklet, which was introduced last year, has been well received, so much so that it is in demand in the private sector. "It was developed with the intention of having it being used in both the public and private health sectors and wherever the woman accesses care," Dr. Lewis-Bell noted.

In addition to the booklet, the Ministry has developed a poster, stressing preparation for the birth of a child as this relates to regular antenatal care. This is critical because of the need for pregnant women to be more aware that early and regular antenatal care is important for not only the health and wellbeing of themselves, but also for the unborn child.

"Therefore, one of the main goals of the campaign is that we want women to prepare for pregnancy. Pregnancy should be something that is planned, so we want women to be prepared for it in terms of how they maintain health and the wellbeing of their bodies in preparation for pregnancy," she pointed out.

A video has also been developed looking at preparing for pregnancy and what women should do, as well as their partners. "We are completing the field testing of that video and that will be rolled out to all the health facilities and media houses soon," the Director said.

Public Service Announcements (PSAs) will also be a part of the mix, speaking to the danger signs of pregnancy; the signs of the onset of labour as well as the high risk conditions that women need to be aware of for pregnancy; and also the need to plan and space pregnancies.

In the meantime, Dr. Lewis-Bell said that safe motherhood required a collaborative effort with all stakeholders. "This does not just include all United Nations agencies and the University Hospital of the West Indies and healthcare workers, but also other important stakeholders. the women themselves and the partners that impregnate them," she stressed.

"Safe motherhood is not a dream and it is not a target set by a world or the United Nations body. It is a necessity and requirement for healthcare and development and we all have a part to play," the Director added.

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