Increased Maternal Deaths Due to Covid: Lancet Report

• 03 Apr 2021

Why in News

According to a study published in The Lancet Global Health Journal, the failure of the health system to cope with Covid-19 pandemic resulted in an increase in maternal deaths and stillbirths.

• The report is an analysis of 40 studies across 17 countries including Brazil, Mexico, the US, Canada, the U.K., Denmark, Netherlands, Italy, India, China and Nepal.

Key Points

• Global Scenario:
  
  • Increase in Death:
    
    • Overall, there was a 28% increase in the odds of stillbirth, and the risk of mothers dying during pregnancy or childbirth increased by about one-third.
    • The disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has led to avoidable deaths of both mothers and babies.
      
      • There was also a rise in maternal depression.
  • Poor Countries More Affected:
    
    • Covid-19 impact on pregnancy outcomes was disproportionately high on poorer countries.
  • Marginalised are the Sufferers:
    
    • The impact was high among the marginalised across various settings such as:
      
      • In Nepal where hospital deliveries decreased most markedly among disadvantaged groups.
      • In the U.K., where 88% of pregnant women, who died during the first wave of the pandemic, were from black and minority ethnic groups.
• Indian Scenario:
  
  • During the months of national lockdown in 2020 between April and June, compared to the same period in 2019, there was:
    
    • 27% drop in pregnant women receiving four or more ante-natal check-ups.
    • 28% decline in institutional deliveries.
    • 22% decline in prenatal services.
• Reason:
  
  • Failure of Healthcare:
    
    • The inefficiency of the healthcare system and their inability to cope with the pandemic instead of strict lockdown measures resulted in reduced access to care.
  • Societal Changes:
    
    • Wider societal changes could have also led to deterioration in maternal health including intimate-partner violence (domestic violence), loss of employment and additional care-responsibilities because of closure of schools.
• Suggestions:
  
  • Device Strategies:
    
    • Policy makers and healthcare leaders must urgently investigate robust strategies for preserving safe and respectful maternity care, even during the ongoing global emergency.
  • Avoid Rolling Back of Investments:
    
    • Immediate action is required to avoid rolling back decades of investment in reducing mother and infant mortality in low-resource settings.
  • Don't Redeploy Personnel for Maternity Services:
    
    • Personnel for maternity services not be redeployed for other critical and medical care during the pandemic and in response to future health system shocks.
• Some Indian Initiatives for Mother and Child health:
  
  • LaQshya program.
  • Safe Motherhood Assurance (SUMAN) initiative.
  • Janani Suraksha Yojana.
  • Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK).
  • Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY).
  • Mission Indradhanush.
  • Poshan Abhiyan.
  • Mother and Child Protection Card.

Source:TH