Investing in Maternal Health : Learning from Malaysia and Sri Lanka
This study provides the most comprehensive and detailed analysis available on factors behind the decline in maternal mortality in Malaysia and Sri Lanka in the past 50 to 60 years and the magnitude of health system expenditures on maternal health....
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
Washington, DC: World Bank
2013
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/12/8188495/investing-maternal-health-learning-malaysia-sri-lanka http://hdl.handle.net/10986/14754 |
| Summary: | This study provides the most
comprehensive and detailed analysis available on factors
behind the decline in maternal mortality in Malaysia and Sri
Lanka in the past 50 to 60 years and the magnitude of health
system expenditures on maternal health. The main findings
are that a modest investment in maternal health services,
combined with other poverty reduction measures leads to a
fairly rapid decline in the maternal mortality ratio (MMR),
defined as the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live
births. The strategies of Malaysia and Sri Lanka changed
over time, from an initial emphasis on expanding the
provision of services, especially in underserved areas, to
increasing utilization and, finally, to emphasizing the
improvement of quality. Removing financial barriers to
maternal care for clients was an important step in both
countries. Professional midwives constitute the backbone of
maternal care in Malaysia and Sri Lanka. The MMR reduction
in developing countries is feasible with modest public
expenditures when appropriate policies are adopted, focused
wisely, and adapted incrementally in response to
environmental conditions and systems capacity. |
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