Reducing maternal mortality

BANGLADESH has significantly reduced mortality rate from 322 per 100,000 childbirths in 2000 to 170 in 2013. At this rate we may well reach the UN's goal (MDG) of 145 deaths per 100,000 childbirths by 2015. Even so absolute number of maternal deaths remains high.
But why should pregnant mothers in their advanced stage suffer and die during delivery despite the existence of health infrastructure comprising community clinics, health complexes and hospitals at the union, upazila and district levels? Experts working with the government, non-government as well as UN agencies at a discussion met on Monday tried to find answers to this question? The fault lines in the maternity care and reproductive health service delivery have been many. It goes without saying that those health facilities are inadequate in terms of skilled manpower as well as materials including medicine and machinery.  More medics, paramedics and birth attendants are necessary at those facilities. But what about the mentality of the family members of the childbearing mothers  to have the child delivered at home rather than at health clinics or hospitals under the supervision of doctors?  So, the need for increased awareness in favour availing themselves of the existing facilities among those families can hardly be overemphasized. That apart, in many cases doctors are not willing to stay at the health complexes situated in rural areas. These are undoubtedly some of the big obstacles that have to be removed for reaching the goal of safe motherhood.