Skip links
Skip to Content
play
Live
Show navigation menu
Navigation menu
News
Show more news sections
Middle East
Africa
Asia
US & Canada
Latin America
Europe
Asia Pacific
Israel War on Gaza
Features
Opinion
Video
More
Show more sections
Economy
Ukraine war
Coronavirus
Climate Crisis
Investigations
Interactives
In Pictures
Science & Technology
Sport
Podcasts
play
Live
Click here to search
search
In Pictures
Gallery
Birth in Nepal
Nepal has some of the worst maternal death statistics in the world, with about six women dying in childbirth every day
Published On 5 May 2010
5 May 2010
facebook
twitter
whatsapp
copylink
In addition, 39 out of every 1,000 Nepalese babies die before their first birthday
Globally, the number of maternal deaths dropped from more than 500,000 a year in 1980 to 343,000 a year in 2008
Six countries accounted for more than half of all the maternal deaths in 2008: India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo [GALLO/GETTY]
In the last 20 years, maternal deaths have been declining at a rate of about 1.4 per cent a year
A recent study cited a number of reasons for the improvement: lower pregnancy rates in some countries; higher income, which improves nutrition and access to health care; better education of women; and the increasing availability of so-called skilled attendants to help women give birth
Afghanistan has the second highest maternal mortality rate in the world and poor health conditions and malnutrition make pregnancy and childbirth exceptionally dangerous for Afghan women [EPA]
A recent study shows that the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of Nepal has decreased to 240 deaths per 100,000 live births
The study also reported that 41 per cent of maternal deaths occurred in health facilities, 40 per cent at home and 14 per cent in transit
In 1998, 21 per cent of maternal deaths occurred in health facilities, 67 per cent at home and 11 per cent in transit
Women are particularly vulnerable in rural areas where they have limited access to health care facilities
Bad roads and a lack of vehicles make the journey to the nearest hospital a perilous one
The vast majority of maternal deaths could be prevented if women had access to quality family planning services, skilled care during pregnancy, childbirth and the first month after delivery, or post-abortion care services, and where permissible, safe abortion services
Harsh conditions and some societal attitudes in the rural district of Acchram in Nepal contribute to the dire statistics
Women in Acchram - where it is a custom for women to do all the work - work up to 18 hours a day
When women menstruate, they must live separately in a small shed called a chaubadi
Locals believe that the woman may fall ill or that the family(***)s cattle will be taken by a tiger if this custom is not followed
Many men from the village work in India and those that have stayed behind sit around playing games. They are not expected to work
The major direct causes of maternal morbidity and mortality include haemorrhage, infection, high blood pressure, unsafe abortion, and obstructed labour
While these are the main causes of maternal death, unavailable, inaccessible, unaffordable, or poor quality care is fundamentally responsible
Like many others, 31-year-old Basanti Sarki married when she was 14. She has five children and is about to give birth to her sixth child
Traditionally, girls in Accham have to work all day to help their mothers
While sons are allowed to play
The older generation in particular believes that sons are more valuable than daughters, ignoring the fact that without daughters the work would not get done
Despite the political instability of the past ten years of civil war, the Nepalese government is introducing measures to improve safety for mothers
The Nepalese government tries to raise awareness in rural communities and to increase access to medical services
There have been government initiatives to provide home visits for family planning, to give basic medical supplies and training to women in remote parts of the country, and to provide pregnant women with vitamin A
Nepal is now ranked 55 out of 181 countries with an annual change reduction of 3.7 per cent per year from 1980 to 2008 (ranked 44 in the world in 1990)