MORE than 300,000 would-be mothers will need the urgent restoration of health facilities in Typhoon Ruby-hit areas, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
With this, UNFPA Country Representative Klaus Beck urged the national government to improve access to maternal-care services, including safe and clean delivery facilities, to prevent maternal and newborn deaths.
The UNFPA said that, to date, at least one maternal death resulting from pregnancy complications was reported in Iloilo, a province hit by Ruby.
“Focus must now urgently be on ensuring that health facilities in the affected areas become fully operational again, and that roads are cleared and transport available for women who will deliver, especially those who are still in evacuation centers,” Beck said.
The UNFPA said around 100 childbirths are expected daily from the affected cities and towns. Of these daily deliveries, some may experience life-threatening obstetric complications.
“It would be a tragedy should any woman die given birth after having already survived Ruby. The UNFPA remains fully committed to support the national and local governments to avoid this,” Beck said.
Further, the UNFPA said that, apart from maternal deaths, displacement caused by disasters, like the recent typhoon, can increase violence against women and children (VAWC).
The UNFPA said it is currenly monitoring the needs of more than 500,000 women and girls of child-bearing age affected by the typhoon who are living either inside or outside evacuation centers.
The support-protection mechanisms for these women and girls include members of community women’s watch groups previously trained on VAWC prevention in Supertyphoon Yolanda-affected areas who are ready to assist in the areas worst-hit by Ruby.
These support groups conduct awareness-raising sessions on VAWC, as well as laws that protect women’s rights against violence. Kits for the medical treatment of rape survivors are also available for health facilities if requested.
Initial reports indicate that typhoon-hit areas, including health facilities, were not as heavily affected as in the case of Yolanda.
The UN agency attributed this to the contingency measures put in place by the government along with the assistance extended by organizations like the UNFPA.
The UNFPA has provided significant assistance over the past year to local government units to enable them to respond to the needs of pregnant and lactating women, and to protect women from gender-based violence.
Overall, the UNFPA has prepositioned 7,400 clean delivery kits for distribution to pregnant women about to give birth.
The kit contains basic delivery supplies that can be used by a birth attendant in a health facility or evacuation center to assist a woman giving birth.
The UNFPA also stands ready to distribute birthing equipment, supplies and medicines to damaged health facilities to restore their functionality.
Further, at least 4,500 dignity kits for pregnant and lactating women (with babies six months and below)have also been provided.
Unicef, WHO support DOH ban on donation of milk formula
THE World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) jointly expressed alarm over the high possibility of milk formula or breast-milk substitutes being distributed in typhoon-affected areas as part of the immediate response.
“Supporting breast-feeding is one of the most important things we can do to protect babies in areas affected by Typhoon Ruby. The uncontrolled distribution and use of milk substitutes in emergencies is extremely dangerous, given the serious water and sanitation challenges associated with disasters,” said Julie Hall, WHO representative in the Philippines.
Consistent with the global recommendation from the World Health Assembly, the Department of Health, the Unicef and the WHO call for action to protect, promote and support breast-feeding during emergencies. Mothers can breast-feed even when they are under difficult circumstances. Knowing this is an important part of being able to continue breast-feeding. Nonbreast-fed babies affected by this disaster need to be urgently identified so their feeding situation can be assessed, and their mothers provided with skilled support and the safest feeding option.
Artificial feeding can only be a last resort, with strict measures to minimize the risks of artificial feeding by ensuring that any donation and/or supply of breast milk substitutes is purchased, distributed and used according to specific criteria specified in the Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies (Version 2.1) Operational Guidance for Emergency Relief Staff and Programme Managers.
“Breast milk is, without doubt, the gold standard for infant nutrition. An estimated 8,400 lives could be saved every year if every Philippine family with infants and young children would practice optimal exclusive breast-feeding for the first six months of an infant’s life with continued breast-feeding until two years of age,” said Lotta Sylwander, Unicef representative to the Philippines.
Breast-feeding has proven benefits that no milk substitutes can equal. Essential vitamins, amino acids and antibodies that are naturally present in a mother’s breast milk help reduce the occurrence of a growing list of illnesses, such as ear and respiratory infections, diarrhea and meningitis, and are also credited with helping to protect children against allergies, asthma, obesity and sudden infant death syndrome.
The Unicef and WHO urge to include capacity building for breast-feeding and infant and young child feeding as part of emergency preparedness and planning, and to commit financial and human resources for proper and timely implementation of breast-feeding and infant and young child feeding in this and subsequent emergency.
With Claudeth Mocon Ciriaco