#Marternal and child health

[mukelaniot]

Maternal and Child health in rural South frica.

“Hold on, what do you mean you have no idea what that even means?”  

“It’s 2024 and women and children are still overlooked. Why am I even surprised?  I mean, nothing new there!”

This was my response when I tried to engage one of my friends in a conversation about Maternal and child health. I must admit, I was quite shocked and disappointed, considering this friend of mine is a new father. I thought we would be a lot further than this at this point in life. This goes to say, “We are not yet Uhuru”.

I’ll say, that although I am not much of a blogger, this topic is one I feel quite passionate about. South Africa’s health is an ongoing crisis with detrimental implications for individuals, families, and communities. Although efforts have been made to address maternal and child health, with it being part of arguably one of the most important of the MDGs (Koblinsky, M., Anwar, I., Mridha, M. K., Chowdhury, M. E., & Botlero, R. (2008)), it is still a huge health concern. I am not going to bore you with the stats, as I am sure countless others have.

Having grown up in a rural area and now being exposed to and working with less privileged communities as an occupational therapy student, I have seen a lot done to address to enhance child health. From the free health care, including check-ups at the clinic before and after birth, to the promotion and provision of free vaccinations (Wagstaff et al., 2004), which coincidentally, I saw being done 2 days ago (measle vaccination) in a clinic where I was doing health promotion on maternal health, promoting physical and mental health and overall well-being mothers.

However, the focus on maternal health usually ends after giving birth. Important factors such as postnatal depression (Almalik, 2017), postnatal anxiety, and burnout are often overlooked. What people fail to understand is just how linked maternal health and child health are, as a tired, burned-out mother cannot fully take care of a child. See the dilemma there?

One of the things I have observed is that in communities, maternal health is often ignored, focusing only on the child's health and well-being. As an occupational therapy student, I tasked myself with doing the best I could to address this imbalance. I am currently providing education and raising awareness about maternal health during the women's support groups that will also provide education to even those who are not yet mothers. I also plan to address matters during the fatherhood groups I plan on establishing in the community, to ensure the women get the support they need at home.

The crisis of overlooked maternal and child health needs to be tackled by the whole community to get better outcomes. As an occupational therapy student, I know I cannot do it alone, but I am committed to doing my part. After all, children are our future, and women are the pillars of our society. Let us take care of them to ensure a healthier society and future.

Almalik, M. M. (2017). Understanding maternal postpartum needs: A descriptive survey of current maternal health services. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 26(23-24), 4654–4663. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13812

Koblinsky, M., Anwar, I., Mridha, M. K., Chowdhury, M. E., & Botlero, R. (2008). Reducing Maternal Mortality and Improving Maternal Health: Bangladesh and MDG 5. Journal of Health, Population, and Nutrition, 26(3), 280–294. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2740701/

Van den Broek, N. R., & Falconer, A. D. (2011). Maternal mortality and millennium development goal 5. British medical bulletin, 99(1), 25-38.  chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nynke-Broek/publication/51619843_Maternal_mortality_and_Millennium_Development_Goal_5/links/564c9d5508ae635cef2a75b5/Maternal-mortality-and-Millennium-Development-Goal-5.pdf

Wagstaff, A., Bustreo, F., Bryce, J., & Claeson, M. (2004). Child Health: Reaching the Poor. American Journal of Public Health, 94(5), 726–736. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.94.5.726