Kenya 's Free Maternity Care Policy Essay

Maternal mortality represents more than the loss of lives for individual women, as it also reflects the larger value and prioritization of women 's health and threatens the health and survival of families, young children, and even the communities in which they live (Royston and Armstrong, 1989). Maternal mortality is unacceptably high (WHO, 2015b). Globally, approximately 830 women die every day from pregnancy- or childbirth-related complications (ibid.). The causes of maternal mortality are predominately preventable and can be classified into three fundamental causes: (1) medical - consisting of direct medical problems and pre-existent/coexistent medical problems that are aggravated by pregnancy, (2) underlying - social and legal conditions, and (3) health systems laws and policies that address availability, accessibility, and quality of reproductive health services (PHP et al, 2011).

Pregnant mothers are viewed as a business made for doctors and hospitals as insurances typically cover infant birth and hospital bills. As Patricia Burkhardt, Clinical Associate Professor, NYU Midwifery Program could not speak the truth any better, she states, “Hospitals are a business. They want those beds filled and emptied. They don’t want women hanging around the labor room.”

Watson and Mason’s article, “Power of the first Hour” and Risworth, et al.’s article “I was on the way to the Hospital but I Delivered in the Bush” both focus on aspects of maternal and infant care and demonstrate the fundamental differences between western policies enacted to improve women’s lives in developing countries and the local realty in those developing countries.

Economic growth has much improved the infant mortality rate though better healthcare facilities and living conditions. Japan has fallen to one of the world’s lowest infant mortality levels at 3.6 per 1,000 live births in 2006 (Saigusa, 2006). Infant mortality is largely affected by the health of the mother, which makes pre-natal health imperative in keeping infant mortality rates low. Since Japan offers health care to all, access to prenatal care is easier to get therefore making mothers healthier and help in finding complications earlier in the pregnancy.

Today there are two countries in the world that do not currently guarantee paid maternity leave for employed new mothers and/or expecting mothers, those countries are the United States and Papua New Guinea, according to the International Labour Organization, an United Nations agency (Rubin 2016). In recent years, the controversial issue of guaranteed maternal leave has been a prominent topic of debate amongst political activists and elites, particularly in the United States, where reform is both an ethical protection for employees and a feasible option for employers, but has yet to be achieved. It is this absence of policy that has been linked to significant health related issues of which does not only effect mothers, but their children as well. In addition to these adverse health impacts, it generates economic hardships to mothers and families. Thus, the consequences to mothers, families, and newborns that the absence of guaranteed paid maternal leave presents and the potential benefits of guaranteed paid leave for these individuals as well as employers, creates a case for policy reform in this particular area that would implement such protection.

According to researchers paid maternity leave is an initiative that enhances health for babies and their mothers. Additionally, it lowers rates of post-delivery depression, childhood immunizations, and infant mortality. Henceforth, paid maternity leave is one of the wits that can improve the nation’s health. However, it is one area in which the U.S. is lagging behind. In fact, the United States of America is one of the three countries in the world that does not mandate paid maternity leave. The other two include Suriname and Papua New Guinea (Goodman 16). In terms of offering maternity leave, even the developing countries

Across the enormous continent of Africa, there are a myriad of birth practices, customs, and traditions. From spiritual ceremonies, consumption of certain fruits, blessing ways to having supportive birthing assistants are some of the very common and important customs from African countries, especially Ghana. One of the oldest and most widely recognized customs is midwifery. Midwifery is the act of assisting women and their families before, during, and after childbirth. Moreover, some midwives also perform abortions and aid in post abortion care

In 2013, 289 000 women died during pregnancy and childbirth and it was estimated that everyday 800 women all over the world died from childbirth or childbirth-related problems (World Health Organization, 2014). Often, maternal mortality is found to occur more often in developing countries than developed countries. Maternal mortality refers women who died from the situation like during pregnancy, termination of pregnancy within 42 days, regardless of duration and place of pregnancy, from aggravation caused by the pregnancy or pregnancy management (Nwagha et al, 2010). Maternal mortality may be resulted from direct or indirect cause. Direct causes are from obstetric complications of pregnancy, labour, and puerperium, and interventions whereas indirect causes are from the worsening of current conditions by pregnancy or delivery (Givewell, 2009). This paper aims to examine the causes for maternal mortality in both developed and developing countries and will end with a proposal for government to ensure women are given reproductive health rights.

Paid maternity leave is a specific period of time allotted by one’s employer in which a woman is able to be on paid leave after having a child. Most, if not all developed countries in the world offer paid maternity leave to it’s expectant women. However, paid maternity leave is considered a privilege, not a right in the United States and it is not mandated to be offered by employers. Although the length of paid leave varies from country to country, it is evident that countries around the world see value in giving women time with their new children while maintaining financial stability. The most common form of maternity leave around the world includes around 12 weeks of paid leave of some sort which is usually mandated by the country 's government, while the United States is one of three developed countries in the world who do not have mandated paid maternity leave laws in place. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, 3 out of 4 people, or 76% of the U.S. population, would like to see policies in place mandating paid maternity leave. This essay will discuss paid maternity leave in great detail touching upon the history of maternity leave, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, the components of generalized maternity leave, how other countries utilize this policy, and how the U.S can benefit from it, along with other agains.

The majority of the women in this world will give birth to a child a least once in their life. We expect that whatever hospital or provider we go to will treat us with the best care they can no matter what the circumstance. This is not true for all parts of the world though. The article “To Open Oneself Is a Poor Woman’s Trouble: Embodied Inequality and Childbirth in South–Central Tanzania” indicated different stories of the process of childbirth for several women in South-Central Tanzania. Spangler performed this research to determine the difference in childbirth health care providers and the cost element of childbirth. The research Spangler did involved several different woman: Asha, Sakina, Zamda, and Tausi. Spangler used participant

Across the enormous continent of Africa, there are a myriad of birth practices, customs, and traditions. From spiritual ceremonies, consumption of certain fruits, blessing ways to having supportive birthing assistants are some of the very common and important customs from African countries, especially Ghana. One of the oldest and most widely recognized customs is midwifery. Midwifery is the act of assisting women and their families before, during, and after childbirth. Moreover, some midwives also perform abortions and aid in post abortion care

High-income women virtually have at least four antenatal care visits, are attended by a skilled health worker during childbirth and receive postpartum care whereas only 40% of poor women with pregnancies had the recommended antenatal care visits in 2015. Poverty, lack of information, inadequate services, cultural practices are other factors that limit access to quality maternal health services. The barriers that prevent women from seeking care must be addressed at all levels of the health

Quality of care for maternal and newborn health has been an agenda that has been neglected. Many women experience disrespectful, abusive, or neglectful treatment during child birth in facilities.Woman autonomy are being violated, leaving women without the choice to seek the proper maternal health care services. Quality care for women and newborns morality has been seeking less attention.issues with quality of care must improve deaths of mothers and newborns has became a issue. Stitches proves that more than a half a million women died during a pregnancy. Statistics also proves that 80% percent of deaths can have been prevented.we need to prioritize the framework of quality care and also

The purpose of this Fulbright scholarship is to answer the following research question: Understanding how implementation of a program, similar to the health extension program in Ethiopia, can help reduce the rate of neonatal mortality and improve maternal health in the Hanang District of Tanzania. Methods of research include the following: collect information and review research, that pertains to the community based newborn care program in Ethiopia; about Tanzania and why the neonatal mortality rate as well as maternal death rate is increased; about Tanzania’s government and funding allocated for maternal and newborn health; about the health extension program that’s present in Ethiopia and how to replicate a similar program

“An Intervention Involving Traditional Birth Attendants and Perinatal and Maternal Mortality in Pakistan” conducted by Jokhio, Winter, and Cheng focuses on decreasing maternal mortality and perinatal death by intervening in two different ways. The group intervened by providing training to traditional birth attendants, since forty three percent of childbirths are completed by traditional birth attendants in developing countries (Jokhio, Winter, and Cheng, 2005). Secondly, the intervention provided disposable delivery kits to birth attendants. The disposable delivery kits are of great importance because the majority of maternal deaths in Pakistan occur due to not being able to reach a hospital facility in time of childbirth, therefore the kit provides an option for these circumstances. Thus, hopefully eliminating the eighty percent of maternal deaths that occur in homes due to not having appropriate or aseptic equipment (Jokhio, Winter, and Cheng, 2005).