Times of India
NEW DELHI, May 11: India certainly isn’t the best place to be a mother. According to a global survey that looked at where mothers fare best and where they face the greatest hardships, India is ranked a dismal 66th among 71 "less developed countries" — only slightly better than countries like Swaziland, Papua New Guinea and Nigeria.
While China occupies 15th position, Pakistan (69) is among the only five countries in that list which are worse off than India. Bangladesh ranks 13th in a separate list that looks at maternal care in 34 "least developed countries" while Nepal is 11th.
The State of the World’s Mothers report 2008, brought out by American humanitarian organization, ‘Save the Children’, says that in India, one in 70 women face a lifetime risk of dying during childbirth. In comparison, it is one in 1,300 women in China and one in 74 women in Pakistan.
The survey that documents conditions for mothers in 146 countries also shows up the poor state of institutional deliveries in India.
It found that over 53% of births in India were not attended by skilled health personnel while only 43% Indian women were using modern contraceptives.
The report also says that the expected number of years for formal female schooling was 10 in India compared to 17 in the US and UK and 16 in Israel.
Reacting to the study findings, a Union health ministry official said the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in India has declined from 398 per 100,000 live births (1997-98) to 301 per 100,000 live births (2001-03).
The report, however, estimates that annually, 50 million women in developing countries give birth at home with no professional care and about 533,000 women die during childbirth. While a woman’s lifetime risk of dying due to maternal causes is one in 26 in Africa, it is one in 120 women in Asia, one in 290 women in Latin America and one in 7,300 women in developed countries.
"When mothers die, their children are 3-10 times more likely to die. Every year, four million newborn babies die in the first month mostly from preventive causes. The majority of these deaths occur in settings where there is also a high rate of maternal mortality," the report says.
It also brings to light numerous studies that have shown the inextricable link between the wellbeing of mothers and that of their children.
"When mothers are poor, uneducated and unable to access healthcare, the risks to themselves and their children multiply. Poor women often do not get adequate care during pregnancy and childbirth. Women who become pregnant in developing countries face a risk of maternal death 6-600 times higher (than) that (of) women in developed countries."
The survey criteria included lifetime risk of maternal mortality, percentage of women using modern contraception, skilled attendant at delivery, female life expectancy, expected number of years of formal schooling for females, maternity leave benefits and participation of women in national government.
The report also highlights the huge disparity between countries in the developed world and those at the opposite end of the spectrum, such as Niger, Chad, Sierra Leone and Angola.
It shows how typically, a New Zealand woman will enjoy full formal education and live to be 83 years old; 72% of those of childbearing age use some modern method of contraception; and one in every 167 mothers will lose a child before it turns five.