"Safe Motherhood Matters: Join us in Honoring Moms on National Safe Motherhood Day"

INTRODUCTION

National Safe Motherhood Day is observed annually on April 11th in India. It is a day dedicated to raising awareness about maternal health and promoting safe motherhood. It emphasizes the significance of adequate care during pregnancy, skilled childbirth, and postnatal care for the well-being of mothers. The key objective of this day is to enhance access to quality healthcare services, with the aim of reducing the maternal mortality ratio caused by pregnancy or childbirth complications. India was the 1st country to declare April 11th as National Safe Motherhood Day.

HISTORY

The idea of National Safe Motherhood Day was first put forth by the White Ribbon Alliance (WRAI), and it was adopted by the Indian Government, designating April 11th, the birthdate of Kasturba Gandhi, as the day to observe it, in 2003. Since then, National Safe Motherhood Day has been commemorated in India every year. It serves as a poignant reminder of the critical importance of safe motherhood and the need to improve maternal health outcomes.

PROGRAMS by GoI

1. National Health Mission (NHM): NHM is a flagship program of the Government of India that aims to provide accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare services, including maternal and child health services, in rural and urban areas. It includes various interventions such as improving infrastructure, capacity-building of healthcare providers, promoting health-seeking behaviors among communities, and ensuring essential medicines and supplies are available.
2. Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY): This is a flagship program of the Government of India that aims to promote institutional deliveries by providing financial incentives to pregnant women who deliver in a health facility. It also offers cash assistance for transportation and other costs associated with childbirth to ensure that pregnant women can access healthcare services during childbirth.
3. Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK): JSSK is a program implemented by the Government of India that provides free and cashless healthcare services to pregnant women and newborns in public health facilities. It includes free antenatal care, delivery, postnatal care, and newborn care services, as well as free transport and drugs/medicines for pregnant women and newborns.
4. Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA): This initiative aims to provide comprehensive and quality antenatal care to pregnant women by conducting regular health check-ups, screening for high-risk pregnancies, and providing necessary medical interventions. It also focuses on creating awareness about safe motherhood practices and encouraging pregnant women to seek timely healthcare services.
5. Maternal Death Surveillance and Response (MDSR): This program involves the systematic identification, notification, and review of all maternal deaths to understand the causes and preventability of maternal deaths. It aims to improve the quality of maternal healthcare services by identifying and addressing gaps and challenges in the healthcare system.
6. LaQshya (Labour Room Quality Improvement Initiative): LaQshya is a program initiated by the Government of India to improve the quality of care in labor rooms and maternity operation theaters in public health facilities. It aims to ensure that every pregnant woman receives timely and appropriate care during childbirth, and that the birth process is safe and free from complications.
7. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY): This program provides conditional cash incentives to pregnant women and lactating mothers for their first live birth to promote good nutrition, health, and wellbeing during pregnancy and post-delivery period. It also focuses on creating awareness about healthy maternal practices and encouraging pregnant women to avail antenatal care and institutional deliveries.
8. SUMAN – Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan a multipronged and coordinated policy approach that subsumes all existing initiatives under one umbrella in order to create a comprehensive initiative which goes beyond entitlements and provides a service guarantee for the entitlements. SUMAN promotes safe pregnancy, childbirth and immediate postpartum care with respect and dignity by translating the entitlements into a service guarantee which is more meaningful to the beneficiaries.

INNOVATIONS

1. Telehealth and digital health solutions: Telehealth and digital health solutions provides remote access to healthcare services, including antenatal care, postpartum care, and health education, particularly in remote or underserved areas. These technologies enables the pregnant women and new mothers to receive timely medical advice, consultations, and support from healthcare professionals through virtual platforms.
2. Mobile health (mHealth) applications: Mobile health applications, or mHealth apps, provides pregnant women and new mothers with access to valuable health information, reminders for appointments and medication, and tools for tracking their pregnancy progress.
3. Maternal health monitoring devices: Innovations in wearable devices and remote monitoring technologies enables continuous monitoring of maternal health parameters such as blood pressure, heart rate, and fetal movements. These devices provides real-time data to healthcare providers, allowing early detection of any potential complications and prompt interventions.
4. Community-based care models: Community-based care models involves training and empowering local health workers, including midwives and community health workers, to provide essential maternal health services in their communities. These models can help bridge the gap in healthcare access for pregnant women in underserved areas and facilitate early detection and management of complications.
5. Emergency obstetric care innovations: Innovations in emergency obstetric care, such as obstetric hemorrhage kits, rapid blood transfusion systems, and low-cost uterine balloon tamponade devices, helps in addressing life-threatening complications during childbirth and reduce maternal mortality.
6. Public-private partnerships: Collaborations between public and private sectors leads to innovative solutions in improving maternal health. For example, partnerships between healthcare providers, technology companies, and non-profit organizations can leverage their unique strengths and resources to develop and implement innovative interventions to promote safe motherhood.
7. Data-driven interventions: The use of data and analytics helps in identifying trends, patterns, and gaps in maternal health outcomes, leading to evidence-based interventions. Innovative approaches such as machine learning, predictive analytics, and data visualization supports in decision-making and strategic planning for improving maternal health outcomes.

CONCLUSION

National Safe Motherhood Day is an important observance that highlights the significance of safe motherhood and maternal health. It provides an opportunity to create awareness, advocate for policies and programs, and take action to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce maternal mortality rates. By prioritizing safe motherhood and promoting access to quality healthcare services for pregnant women, we can work towards ensuring that every mother has a safe and healthy pregnancy and childbirth experience.

Let's work together to ensure that every mother has access to safe and quality healthcare, and to prevent maternal mortality and morbidity. Happy National Safe Motherhood Day!

"Safe motherhood is not just a privilege, but a basic human right that must be ensured for every woman, regardless of their socio-economic status or geographic location."