Shambare, Annah D. (2011) Maternal health issues among women of Reproductive age group: The case of Highfields -Harare. Masters thesis, University of Zimbabwe.
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Abstract
Globally, it is estimated that more than 99% of the estimated 536,000 maternal deaths each year occur in developing countries (WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank 2007). Sub-Saharan Africa has the greatest burden of maternal mortality accounting for about 270 000 of the deaths (WHO 2007). As many as one in every 16 pregnant woman in developing countries faces the risk of dying in childbirth, comparatively in Sweden only 1 in 30 000 pregnant women faces this same risk of death at childbirth. It is truly the “largest discrepancy of all public health statistics ”(Lancet 2006). For Zimbabwe, evidence obtained through national surveys produced the following worrisome trends on maternal mortality : 283 deaths per 100 000 live births in 1984 to 695 deaths per 100 000 live births in 1999 ( ZDHS 1999), 1069 deaths per 100 000 live births ( Census 2002), 1237 deaths per 100 000 live births (PASS 2003), 555deaths per 100 000live births ( ZDHS 2005/6 ). Currently maternal mortality levels stand at 725 deaths per 100 000 live births (ZMPMS 2007) a figure 10 times higher than the 2015 target of 70 deaths per 100 000 live births. Clearly, the foregoing statistics of the situation of maternal mortality of Africa and particularly of Zimbabwe calls for broad based interventions. Cognizance of the fact that, the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 is aimed at improving maternal health in Zimbabwe by a 75% reduction of maternal mortality between 1990 and 2015, clearly reducing maternal mortality by this margin appears a distant reality, especially when considering the current maternal mortality levels. As Zimbabwe draws closer to the target date of 2015, a lot still remains undone in the area of women’s health. Reaching the MDG targets for Zimbabwe will not be possible unless the health of women improves (MOCHW 2009). More so, several maternal health indicators such as the Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) shed more light on the urgent need to improve maternal health in Zimbabwe, so that a decrease in maternal mortality can be effected. Noted was that, although Zimbabwe’s CPR increased steadily from 38% in 1984 to 65%, a relatively higher CPR by 2006 (ZDHS 2005/6), 13 % unmet need for Contraception still remains ( ZMNH 2007- 2015) exposing woman to unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions. Results of the Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey 2005/6 also showed that by 2005/6 only 68% of pregnant woman were delivered by a skilled attendant in Zimbabwe, suggesting that a significant number of women were still resorting to unsafe home births. During the same period, the three delays were also pointed to have contributed to about 73% of all maternal deaths. Moreover, HIV/AIDS remains a leading contributor of maternal deaths having accounted for 25% of maternal deaths by 2007 ( ZMPMS 2007). Despite the above worrying statistics on maternal health, it has been shown that comprehensive knowledge about HIV/AIDS is still low in Zimbabwe, with only 55% of women aged 15-49 years having comprehensive knowledge of HIV modes of transmission by 2009 (MIMS 2009). Lack of knowledge increases women’s vulnerability to maternal health problems. Thus, it may make sense to broaden interventions by also addressing the root causes of the maternal mortality tragedy, possibly if women had the correct knowledge, had the right attitude and could afford medical services a significant number of these maternal deaths could be avoided.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman R Medicine > RG Gynecology and obstetrics R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics > RJ101 Child Health. Child health services |
| Divisions: | Africana |
| Depositing User: | Tim Khabala |
| Date Deposited: | 25 Apr 2018 10:06 |
| Last Modified: | 25 Apr 2018 10:06 |
| URI: | http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/3834 |
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