Choice Ireland

Thursday, 02 September, 2010
Radio Australia

Women in Laos have a one in 33 chance of dying as a result of childbirth.

That rate is among the worst in the region, considerably higher than neighbouring Cambodia, where it's one in 48 or Vietnam where it's one in 280. So why are so many women and their children dying? Many argue that a lack of midwives could be largely to blame. Now - after a 23 year break - Laos is re-introducing specialised mid-wifery training.

Presenter: Helene Hofman

Speakers: Dr Monir Islam, Director, Family Health and Research Program, World Health Organisation, South-East Asia Regional Office; Della Sherrat, Field Birth Attendant Co-ordinator, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Laos; Boathip Phongsavath, Program Officer for Laos, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); Magdalen Drani, International Nurse-midwife Trainer, United Nations

HOFFMAN: Two mothers and 20 newborns. Laos has a population of just over 6-point-2 million, but it loses that many mothers and babies to childbirth every day. Now the local government, with the backing of the United Nations Population Fund, is seeking to turn that trend around. They've conducted an assessment, and concluded that access to affordable and reliable ante-natal services and midwives is largely to blame.

Dr Monir Islam, Director of the Family Health and Research Program with the World Health Organisation's South-East Asia regional office, explains:

ISLAM: If you look at the access to skilled care for pregnant women it's very low. It would be say about 20 per cent. So women do not have access to the right care during pregnancy and childbirth and particularly access to emergency obstrical care services so there is a lack of skilled care and where they have services, we also have to look at the quality of services. The training of midwives and people with midwifery skills for making a difference in countries.

[Note: Abortion is completely illegal in Laos.]