REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia's Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry has intensified efforts to reduce the maternal mortality rate.

"The ministry and the Indonesian Women Congress (Kowani) have produced a handbook for NGOs, detailing steps to accelerate the reduction of maternal mortality," Heru Kasidi, deputy to the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister, in charge of gender mainstreaming in the political, social and legal fields, said here on Tuesday.

The maternal mortality cut is one of the indicators to assess the degree of women's health, he said at a coordination meeting on ways to expedite reduction in maternal mortality rate.

"The issue also received international attention as it has been included in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that comprise 17 goals and 169 targets," he noted.

As per the Third Goal listed in the SDGs, the target is to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by the year 2030.

Factors that cause maternal mortality include medical and non medical ones.

"For instance, the social, economic and cultural condition of the public, including gender equality and education level of the spouse and family members (can all be factors impacting maternal mortality)," he added.

The government has been working alone in trying to reduce the maternal mortality rate, he remarked, adding, "Therefore, the government needs public participation."

The government also needs the participation of women's organizations, businessmen and that of the media, according to him.

In the meantime, according to information on the UN website, the Third Goal of the SDGs is: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

The UN said maternal mortality has fallen by almost 50 per cent since 1990.

In Eastern Asia, Northern Africa and Southern Asia, maternal mortality has declined by around two-thirds.

But maternal mortality ratio---the proportion of mothers that do not survive childbirth compared to those who do---in developing regions is still 14 times higher than in the developed regions.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika