Loren asks fellow women to help improve maternal healthcare

NP-NPC-LDP VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA TODAY URGED FELLOW WOMEN TO HELP IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTHCARE IN THE COUNTRY, POINTING OUT THAT GOVERNMENT HAS NOT MADE SUFFICIENT PROGRESS IN COMBATING MATERNAL MORTALITY TO MEET OUR MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL.
According to UN statistics, 230 women die for every 100,000 live births, in contrast to the goal of reducing maternal mortality to 55-60 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2015.
“Every mother will agree that child birth is a life-changing, rewarding experience. Pero ang nakakalungkot, karamihan ng mga ina sa atin ay tutoong nakabaon ang kalahati ng katawan sa hukay kapag nanganganak, and this is because they lack access to proper maternal healthcare,” said Loren, who is a mother of two boys.
“On the flip side, we see many women doing well in their careers, and holding high posisitons both in the public and private sector. The Philippines has the highest proportion of women holding senior corporate positions in the world. Looking at their diligence and accomplishments makes me proud to be a Filipina,” Loren said.
Loren encourages fellow women to help improve maternal healthcare in the country. “As mothers and daughters, we can relate to the dangers of giving birth and the challenges and rewards of being a mother. We know how scared and happy and fulfilled mothers feel the moment they hear their child’s first cry. Most of all, we know that we’d want to be there for our children no matter what, and to be able to raise them properly. But the sad reality is a lot of mothers don’t get to do that for their children. Ten Filipinas die from childbirth everyday. This means that every year, another 3,650 children are added to the hundreds of thousands of children growing up without mothers,” said Loren.
According to Loren, it’s time we start taking action towards preventing more women from dying from childbirth. “These deaths are very preventable. They’re usually caused by complications arising from hemorrhage, sepsis, hypertension and abortive outcomes, which can be prevented by access to quality maternal healthcare.”
“We have a lot of women in high positions in government and the private sector who can use their power to improve maternal healthcare in the country, and end this vicious reality. They can use their access to resources, their networks, their connections etc to promote access to quality healthcare for mothers. Even housewives and self-employed moms can make a meaningful difference by helping spread awareness about the dangers of not getting proper maternal healthcare,” Loren said.
“I ask every Filipina to join me in my campaign of ending the tragedy of women dying from childbirth, and help raise babies in a caring environment surrounded by a mother’s love,” Loren said.
Loren is an advocate of women’s rights, and has co-sponsored the Magna Carta for Women which affirms the role of women in nation building and ensures the substantive equality of women and men. It also promotes the empowerment of women, pursuing equal opportunities for women and men as well as ensuring their equal access to resources through institutional mechanisms and various benefits. The bill also condemns discrimination against women in all its forms.