2023, Vol. 6, Issue 2, Part A

According to WHO, Maternal mortality is the annual number of female deaths from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management (excluding accidental or incidental causes) during pregnancy and childbirth or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of pregnancy. The leading cause of maternal mortality is hemorrhage. The primary complications that account for nearly 75% of all maternal deaths are severe bleeding, high blood pressure during pregnancy, infections, unsafe abortions, and complications from delivery. The sample registration system encourages India’s maternal mortality ratio to fall to 113 in 2016-2018 from 122 in 2015-16 and 130 in 2014-16. To decrease the maternal mortality rate, the health care system should be reinforced with high-excellence services that should be equally and successfully distributed to remote and hilly areas. Families need to have frequent contact with skilled frontline workers, and continuous education of employees is essential. Family planning, safe abortion services, emergency obstetric care, research, and identification of high-risk pregnancies are also essential to reduce maternal mortality in India.