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Asia Regional Meeting Begins Today: 'Eclampsia, PPH major causes of maternal mortality'

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and eclampsia are the major causes of maternal mortality in Bangladesh, said a senior secretary of the health and family welfare ministry yesterday.

He said 194 women per 100,000 still die in various reasons during pre and post delivery period.

Senior secretary of the ministry Humayun Kabir told a press conference at a hotel in the capital.

According to a survey on maternal mortality, about 1,500 women, out of 7,500, die each year due to eclampsia while Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics 2010 shows 32 per cent women die because of excessive bleeding after giving birth to child.

USAID organised the press conference ahead of a three-day Asia Regional Meeting on Interventions for Impact in Essential Obstetric and Newborn Care begins here today.

Quoting sixth Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, the senior secretary said only 32 per cent women give birth at the hands of medically trained attendants which increase maternal mortality rate.

“We want to ensure 50 per cent deliveries at the hands of skilled birth attendants by 2016,” he said adding, “We are also piloting the use of Magnesium Sulphate at community level to prevent deaths from eclampsia.”

Underscoring the need for such regional meeting, he said this regional meeting will help the countries share their experiences to reduce maternal mortality rate and achieve millennium development goals (MDGs).

At least 275 policy makers and senior technical professionals from over 20 countries of the Asian region will attend the programme. Seventy five Bangladeshi experts will also attend the event.

Health Minister AFM Ruhal Huq will inaugurate the programme this evening.

Mission Director of USAID Richard Greene and Director of USAID supported Maternal and Child Health Integrated Program (MCHIP) Koki Agarwal were also present at the programme.