Every Mother Counts

Mother's Day is that day when we can all be highly dramatic over the gifts our kids give us, post it on Facebook {guilty!}, get 3 likes or so and some touching comments and a couple of smileys. 

I live in a country where many moms weren't given the privilege to celebrate it because they died from pregnancy-related and childbirth-related causes. The Philippines ranks 74th in the MMR {Maternal Mortality Rate} worldwide. That figure from the CIA was done in 2010. The MMR increased from 99 to 120 per 100,000 live births in 2013. 

In 2013, the total count was 289,000 worldwide - 99% are from the developing countries. The World Health Organization stated that the "maternal mortality rate is unacceptably high." What's sad about this fact is that the deaths are preventable according to WHO.

I like organizations that focuses on women's issues such as Every Mother Counts. It's a not-for-profit organization founded by Christy Turlington {she's my favorite supermodel, by the way} that is "dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother." EMC will be concentrating on three key areas to ensure the safety of mothers: Transportation, Education, and Supplies.

Some years ago, I volunteered in a couple of lying-in clinics in the Metro. I was surprised that many still lacked the necessary medical supplies. I wouldn't be that surprised if I saw this deficiency in far-flung areas. In this part of the world, that thing is kind of expected, unfortunately. The lack of skilled attendants is also a major issue because the ones who are seek better opportunities in other countries. 

This is a really huge challenge that we're facing. Honestly, I didn't really give maternal deaths that much of a thought prior to my months as a volunteer. I'm one of those people in this country who's given the privilege to give birth in a good setting. My friends and relatives had the same privilege as well, so the idea didn't dawn on me until I got exposed to what these mothers were going through. 

I understand why this particular issue doesn't run deep to some. It's not their fault. I used to be like that. They're sheltered from this kind of reality. It's really different when you've seen it first-hand. Whether you like it or not, it will change you. Sometimes I tell some of my friends that the cure for having a bad day is to go to places where people are having their worst. 

I don't have the financial capacity to help change this problem drastically, but I can help create awareness because of this blog. Yeah, yeah, it's a shallow blog, but I'm hoping that my 4.5 readers will get something good out of this post. 

If you want to learn more about how you can help these mothers, please visit www.everymothercounts.org

Onward and Upward!