Maternal Morbidity Health facilities and treatment seeking behaviour of women in Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

Maternal Morbidity refers to illness and deaths from complication of pregnancy or childbirth, unsafe abortion, infection of the reproductive or genital tract and sexually transmitted infections, and the improper use of contraceptive methods. Recent available statistics reveal that Maternal Mortality Ratios (MMRs) for developing countries are many times higher than those for developed countries.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates indicated that 5,29,000 maternal deaths occur annually by causes related to pregnancy and childbirth in the world and 99 percent of these maternal deaths occur in developing countries.
Available indicators show that the reproductive health situation of the Indian population is not satisfactory. Pregnancy and childbirth related complications are the leading cause of death among women aged 15-44 years. Although many maternal complications are unpredictable, most of maternal deaths are preventable. The most recent statistics indicate that maternal mortality ratio in India has declined from 400 per 100,000 live births in 1997-98 to 212 per 100,000 live births for the period 2012 -2014 (India, Register General, 2014a). But its high in Uttar Pradesh as 258 per 100,000 live births (AHS-UP 2012-13).