Peshawar: Globally more than 350,000 women die every year from preventable complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Pakistan ranks third highest in the world with estimated 276 out of 100000 number of maternal deaths, behind India and Nigeria.
This was stated by Lubna Hassan, a gynaecologist, during a meeting held here at office of Director General DG health on Wednesday. That was the combined 3rd meeting of Working Technical Group WTG of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Areas FATA organized by Khendo Kor with slogan, ‘Saving Mothers in Communities’.
Highlighting the gaps either in policies or in practices which leads to Maternal Mortality Rate MMR and devising strategy for coping with the identified gaps by developing policies, recommendations for proper use of Misoprostol for either prevention or treatment of Postpartum Haemorrhage PPH severe bleeding in delivery of childbirth.
A large number of officials of health department including Dr Shareef Ahmad, Dr Lubna Hassan, Dr Lubna Tajik from UNFPA, Ambrin from UNICEF, Dr Niaz from FATA, Shoaib from Mercy corps, Hafeezullah Khattak from Khwendo Kor and others spoke.
Project Manager Shoaib said that this project is focusing on addressing complications caused by PPH in order to reduce MMR and we all should devise comprehensive strategies for safe motherhood in order to reduce MMR as per commitment under Millennium Development Goals MDGs.
In the meeting members of technical group recommended that inclusion of Misoprostol in Provincial & FATA Essential Drug List for Prevention and treatment of PPH if not already done, Development of clinical protocols dosage, route of administration etc.
In the light of FIGO & SOGP, Focus should be on the Capacity Building of SBA for the use of Misoprostol Targeted messages for Health care Providers and general public general public messages, disseminate the importance of skill birth attendance preferably at Health Facility, balanced diet and danger signs of pregnancy, they added.
Dr. Sharif Ahmad Khan, Director General Health, KP shared that Directorate of health services, KP has added that Misoprostol for complication caused by PPH in essential drug list. At the end of meeting Mr. Hafeez Ullah, Project Coordinator thanked to all participants for their valuable inputs and participation.