Introduction
Ethiopia has an estimated 401 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births and has a significant maternal mortality problem. This number exceeds the global average of 211 maternal deaths per 100,000 live deliveries by a wide margin. Mothers in Ethiopia, adversely affected by maternal mortality, are the population of interest for this paper. This essay will IThis give a quick overview of Ethiopia’s history, culture, and economy in this report. I’ll also go over the main health problems that women face and examine why maternal death is a problem for the nation’s human rights. I will pay particular attention to the factors influencing maternal mortality and how they relate to justice and human rights. Ultimately, I’ll make suggestions that the government in Ethiopia might take into account to enhance mothers’ human rights to health. The main concept of this study is that maternal mortality in Ethiopia is a serious concern for human rights that needs to be addressed right now.
Background
Ethiopia is an African nation found in the Horn of Africa, and it is a landlocked country with a population of more than 100 million. Many cultural, economic, and political forces have shaped the nation throughout its long history, which dates back to antiquity. Power disputes between various ethnic groups and political parties have always been a feature of Ethiopia. These conflicts frequently resulting from these struggles have caused displacement, trauma, and other human rights violations.
These conflicts that have frequently resulted from these struggles have caused dislocation, trauma, and other types of human rights violations. One of the poorest nations in the world, with a high prevalence of infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria, has made significant advancements in recent years despite this fact. The healthcare system is underfunded, ill-equipped, and has inadequate access to necessary medications and medical supplies. With high maternal and child mortality rates, women and children are especially at risk.
For Ethiopian women, maternal mortality is a serious health concern. Maternal mortality, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is the term used to describe the death of a woman from any cause connected to or caused by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes, during pregnancy, childbirth, within 42 days of delivery, or during pregnancy termination, regardless of the length and location of the pregnancy. Hemorrhage, infections, hypertension issues, labor obstructions, and unsafe abortions are the leading causes of maternal mortality in Ethiopia (Tiruneh et al., 2022).
Bleeding, which can cause up to 9.5 %% of all maternal deaths, is Ethiopia’s leading contributor to maternal mortality. Hemorrhage can happen during childbirth due to difficulties such as placenta previa, placental abruption, or the days following delivery (Tiruneh et al., 2020). Inadequate antenatal care, a lack of competent delivery attendants, insufficient antenatal care, and restricted access to emergency obstetric treatment are additional risk factors for maternal mortality in Ethiopia (Wakgar et al., 2019). The causes of maternal mortality in Ethiopia are intricate and multifaceted. In addition to cultural and traditional beliefs and practices that may impact women’s health-seeking behavior, these include socioeconomic factors like poverty, a lack of education, and low social status. Maternal mortality may also be influenced by structural elements such as a flawed healthcare system and restricted access to necessary medications and medical supplies (Wakgar et al., 2019).
Under the currently available literature, I have decided to delve majorly into bleeding as the primary health problem for Ethiopian mothers. This decision is supported by the significant prevalence of bleeding as a cause of maternal mortality in Ethiopia and its curable nature. Interventions against hemorrhage include timely access to emergency obstetric care, enhanced prenatal and postpartum care, and the use of uterotonics to stop postpartum hemorrhage. Improved maternal health and better protection of mothers’ human rights in Ethiopia can result from addressing the factors contributing to hemorrhage-related maternal death.
Health Issue- Maternal Mortality
Ethiopia has a serious maternal fatality problem. Ethiopia has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the globe, with an estimated 401 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This indicates that roughly 7,000 Ethiopian women die annually from avoidable maternal causes. Most of these fatalities happen among women with little access to healthcare facilities and rural areas (Berhan & Berhan, 2014).
Most of these fatalities happen among women who have little access to healthcare facilities and in rural areas. Several factors affect infant mortality (Berhan & Berhan, 2014). A primary contributing factor is the lack of access to high-quality healthcare services, especially in rural regions. This is made worse by the lack of qualified healthcare workers, which restricts the ability to provide obstetric treatment. In addition, because poor women are more likely to have poor health outcomes and have limited access to healthcare services, poverty plays a significant role in determining maternal mortality in Ethiopia. Traditional beliefs and practices may discourage women from obtaining medical attention during pregnancy and childbirth, another effect of cultural factors (Sara et al., 2019).
The lack of emergency obstetric care availability in Ethiopia is one health problem associated with maternal mortality there. This is particularly troublesome in rural regions because there is frequently no or poor access to medical facilities (Nigussie et al., 2022). Research released in the Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences found that direct obstetric causes like hemorrhage, sepsis, and obstructed labor account for 85% of maternal deaths in Ethiopia. Many of these fatalities might have been avoided if women had access to timely and adequate emergency obstetric care. Therefore, a severe health problem that raises the risk of maternal mortality in Ethiopia is the lack of availability of emergency obstetric care. To improve women’s health outcomes and lower the high maternal mortality rate in the nation, it is crucial to address this problem (Nigussie et al., 2022).
Human Rights Issues
A complex interaction between health equity and human rights is revealed when the human rights context is examined concerning the significant health problems mothers in Ethiopia face. Some of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women all acknowledge the health right as one of the fundamental human rights. Access to essential health factors like clean water, sanitary conditions, and education are also included in the right to health and healthcare services (Bergen, 2020).
In Ethiopia, maternal mortality is a severe problem for both health equality and human rights. The high maternal mortality rate disproportionately affects impoverished and marginalized women and indicates health inequity. Ethiopia’s maternal death rates have decreased somewhat, but they remain among the highest in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that in 2017, Ethiopia’s maternal mortality incidence was 412 per 100,000 live births. The average, according to the Ethiopian government, is thought to be 353 deaths per 100,000 live births (Abegaz, 2017). The causes of maternal mortality in Ethiopia are multifaceted and include socioeconomic variables like poverty, illiteracy, poor access to healthcare, and traditional influences that may prevent women from accessing healthcare. Inadequate healthcare infrastructure and a lack of medical professionals are just two of the significant problems the Ethiopian healthcare system confronts.
Ethiopia’s high infant mortality rate is violating human rights for women. Maternal mortality is a preventable cause of death, and the right to life is a fundamental human right (Abegaz, 2017). The UN has acknowledged maternal mortality as a human rights problem, and it is viewed as a crucial sign of advancement in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Ethiopian government has taken many actions to reduce maternal mortality, such as launching the Health Extension Program in 2003 to enhance rural communities’ access to healthcare facilities. Although the program has effectively improved maternal and child health outcomes in Ethiopia, significant obstacles remain to overcome (Nugmanova et al., 2020).
The International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women are just a few of the international human rights treaties that the Ethiopian government has ratified and signed (Nugmanova et al., 2020). The freedom of health is acknowledged as a fundamental right in the Ethiopian Constitution. In addition, it is still challenging to put these human rights laws into practice, especially in remote and rural areas with poor healthcare facilities. However, the high maternal mortality rate and the protection of women’s rights are issues that the Ethiopian government must resolve. To accomplish this, the government should keenly address maternal health from a human rights perspective. With this strategy, the underlying causes of maternal mortality would be addressed, including poverty, a lack of appropriate healthcare infrastructure, and cultural practices and beliefs that might limit women’s access to healthcare. Additionally, it would entail ensuring that healthcare services are readily available, acceptable, and of a high standard (Bergen, 2020).
In addition, the government of Ethiopia should ensure that women’s human rights are upheld throughout the entire maternal healthcare cycle, from conception to delivery to postpartum treatment (Nugmanova et al., 2020). This comprises ensuring that women have access to knowledge about their rights and can make educated healthcare decisions. The government should also address any discrimination that prevents women from getting healthcare services and make sure that healthcare professionals are trained in gender equality and human rights (Nugmanova et al., 2020).
Conclusion
In conclusion, Ethiopia continues to face significant health concerns, particularly in rural areas with limited access to healthcare services. These issues include maternal mortality and morbidity. Maternal mortality and morbidity are influenced by various factors, mainly socioeconomic conditions, cultural norms, and a lack of proper medical care. Not only should maternal mortality rates be decreased, but also the underlying factors that influence maternal health, such as economic advancement, access to education, and women’s empowerment, should be addressed by those who provide maternal health services.
The significantly higher rates of maternal mortality and morbidity in Ethiopia, identified as a health problem, are closely linked to equity and human rights. In low-income nations, including Ethiopia, women are disproportionately affected by maternal mortality and morbidity. Maternal mortality and morbidity are more likely to affect women who live in rural regions, are impoverished, or have limited access to healthcare and education. The right to health considered a fundamental right of humanity, is violated by this difference in accessibility to maternal health treatments.
However, there is more to be done. Ethiopia has made substantial improvements in maternal health outcomes. The government should continue enforcing laws that advance maternal health equity and deal with the root causes of poor maternal outcomes. This entails boosting women’s empowerment and combating cultural behaviors that harm maternal health, as well as expanding access to healthcare and education, particularly in rural areas.
In addition, there is a need for the international community to help reduce maternal mortality and morbidity in Ethiopia. Donor organizations should support Ethiopia’s attempts at improving maternal health outcomes financially and technically. The maternal health community must also fight for more funding and attention because it is a human rights problem. Finally, reducing maternal mortality and morbidity in Ethiopia necessitates a multifaceted strategy considering the fundamental factors affecting mother health and advancing fairness in providing maternal health services. Ethiopia cannot achieve sustainable development and enhance the health and welfare of its people unless it supports human rights and equity in maternal health.
References
Abegaz, S. T. (2017). Maternal mortality in Ethiopia: Can a rights-based approach cure? Afrika Focus, 30(2), 9–27. https://doi.org/10.1163/2031356X-03002003
Nugmanova, M., Mikkola, H., Rozanov, A., & Komleva, V. (2020). Education, Human Rights and Peace in Sustainable Development. In Google Books. BoD – Books on Demand. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=MmwtEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA97&dq=A+Human+Rights-Based+Approach+to+Maternal+and+Child+Health+in+Ethiopia:+Does+it+Matter+to+Promote+Health+Equities%3F&ots=Y1Erh1sGN5&sig=UBN6uKQ_c5aADF0-Ic7_wYymlkg
Berhan, Y., & Berhan, A. (2014). Causes of Maternal Mortality in Ethiopia: A Significant Decline in Abortion Related Death. Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences, 24(0 Suppl), 15–28. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4249203/
Nigussie, J., Girma, B., Molla, A., Tamir, T., & Tilahun, R. (2022). The magnitude of postpartum hemorrhage and its associated factors in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Reproductive Health, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-022-01360-7
Sara, J., Haji, Y., & Gebretsadik, A. (2019). Determinants of Maternal Death in a Pastoralist Area of Borena Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia: Unmatched Case-Control Study. Obstetrics and Gynecology International, 2019, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/5698436
Tiruneh, B., Fooladi, E., McLelland, G., & Plummer, V. (2022). Incidence, mortality, and factors associated with primary postpartum hemorrhage following in-hospital births in northwest Ethiopia. PLOS ONE, 17(4), e0266345. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266345
Wakgar, N., Dulla, D., & Daka, D. (2019). MATERNAL NEAR MISSES AND DEATH IN SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY. Ethiopian Journal of Reproductive Health, 11(2), 9–9. http://www.ejrh.org/index.php/ejrh/article/view/267
Tiruneh, B., McLelland, G., & Plummer, V. (2020, March 30). Incidence and Mortality Associated with Primary Postpartum Haemorrhage Following In-Hospital Births in Northwest Ethiopia. Papers.ssrn.com. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3566174
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