NAMHHR raises concerns over maternal health

The National Alliance of Maternal Health and Human Rights (NAMHHR) with Oxfam India Thursday organised a two-day event here related to priorities in maternal health and upliftment of marginalised women across India.

The event raised concerns regarding medical services and policy framework, government health programmes for tribal women, manual scavengers and migrant women.

It examined the current maternal health policy on the basis of available case studies and women's perspective particularly those belonging to marginalised social groups.

Ritu Priya, professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, chaired the event. The convention also saw speakers from different parts of the country like Choti Bai (Rashtriya Garima Abhiyan, Madhya Pradesh), Neeta Hardikar, (Anandi, Gujarat), Sudha N. (SPAD, Karnataka), Anita Ghai (Jesus & Mary College, New Delhi).

"Pregnant women who belong to backward classes do not get adequate medical care in small districts of Madhya Pradesh, hence the maternal mortality rate is high," said Vinod Pateriya, Lok Sangharsh Sajha Manch, Madhya Pradesh.

"HIV positive women are not given adequate medical care, they are often referred from one hospital to another," Sunil Kaul, the Ant, Assam said.

"There is a need to increase awareness among the adolescent women who are forced into marriage and become pregnant at an early age," health expert Sebanti Ghosh said during the event.

The event also highlighted the issues of nutrition and diet during pregnancy.