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Maternal Health
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Dramatic reductions in maternal mortality in Sri
Lanka (by half in three years) and Malaysia (by three
fourths in 20 years) resulted from the phased development of widespread, accessible networks of facilities
able to treat obstetric emergencies, complemented by
the training and appropriate deployment of professional
midwives, with closely linked back-up
emergency obstetric services.(28) Expenditures were not
high, but attention was paid to developing a primary
health care system that reached all parts of the population,
regardless of ethnicity, class or urban-rural
difference, in line with the ICPD Programme’s recommendations.
(29) In these efforts, both countries have
tried to find the appropriate mix of private versus
public expenditures.(30)
Haiti’s Ministry of Health has established a
Committee for Reduction of Maternal Mortality,
which has developed a national plan. A model of
comprehensive emergency obstetric care, developed
in eight hospitals, includes infection prevention,
post-abortion care and the integration of maternity
services with family planning methods and
counselling.(31)
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