Abstract
Maternal death was once a common occurrence worldwide but today, 99% of maternal deaths occur in low income countries. Most of the maternal deaths are due to direct obstetric complications. Emergency obstetric care is the intervention required to save the lives of these women. It is based on a tripod of signal functions, skilled birth attendants and a functional health system. The objective of this article was to discuss the role of Emergency obstetric care in maternal mortality reduction. A systematic review of available articles on Emergency obstetric care; and Emergency obstetric care training materials, experience and observations used/made between 2003 and 2017 in Nigeria was used for this work. Emergency obstetric care is the nucleus on which all other maternal mortality reduction activities are hinged. The paradigm evolvement of Emergency obstetric care offers the last hope for a woman with direct obstetric complication. However, the skilled birth attendant must have the right attitude in addition to her/his professional skills for effective implementation of these interventions. Women need access to and availability of Emergency obstetric care as well as a continuum of care that includes antenatal, intra-partum and postnatal care, newborn care and family planning services to reduce maternal mortality.
Highlights
Maternal death was once a common occurrence worldwide but today, 99% of maternal deaths occur in low income countries, reflecting the greatest disparity between high income and low income countries of any health indicator.[1]
One of the evidence-based interventions to reduce maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality is to improve the availability, accessibility, utilization and quality of services for the treatment of complications that arise during pregnancy and childbirth. These services are collectively known as Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC) and should be offered by skilled birth attendants.[4,5]
Met need for emergency obstetric care: proportion of women with major direct obstetric complications who are treated in such facilities. major direct obstetric complications who are treated in such facilities
Summary
Maternal death was once a common occurrence worldwide but today, 99% of maternal deaths occur in low income countries, reflecting the greatest disparity between high income and low income countries of any health indicator.[1]. Maternal and newborn mortality is a public health problem in most developing countries.[1] One of the evidence-based interventions to reduce maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality is to improve the availability, accessibility, utilization and quality of services for the treatment of complications that arise during pregnancy and childbirth These services are collectively known as Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC) and should be offered by skilled birth attendants.[4,5] EmOC is the nucleus on which all other maternal mortality reduction activities are hinged. MDR is an in-depth systematic review of maternal deaths to delineate their underlying health, social and other contributory factors It is a key element of a strategy to improve the quality of maternal healthcare services by providing evidence of where the main problems of overcoming maternal mortality lie, produce an analysis of what can be done in practical terms and highlight the key areas requiring recommendations for health sector and community action as well as guidelines for improving clinical outcomes.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of BioMedical Research and Clinical Practice
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
