Effect of Maternal and Child Health in Developed Countries

Effect of Maternal and Child Health in Developed Countries

At the same time, the effect of maternal and child morbidity and mortality in developed countries is quite insignificant. Thus, countries such as the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Germany register insignificant rates compared to developing countries in Africa and Asia. Additionally, in most European countries, neonatal deaths have been reported to be declining since 2004. However, despite being regarded as a developed nation, the United States of America is ranked the worst among such countries regarding maternal and child health. For example, Creanga et al. reports significant maternal morbidity rates in the USA due to women’s physical and psychological conditions. However, while the figures are not so high compared to those from developing nations, approximately 60,000 women in the USA are affected, increasing the strain on the economy. Despite the low maternal and child mortality rates, the consequences of a single death of a mother or a child in a developed nation are similar to those in developing ones. Similarly, in the USA, productivity is reduced when a mother dies from a preventable complication. Additionally, the government has to bear the burden of extending financial aid to meet some of the basic needs of orphaned children, including covering their education expenses and providing them with food stamps when necessary. Therefore, each death or complication is a tragedy for these developed countries and an economic loss, similar to the developing world.

A Comparison Between Developed and Underdeveloped Countries

The huge gap between the number of mothers and children affected health-wise in developed and developing countries is quite significant. For example, the MMR for underdeveloped countries, such as most African countries, Pakistan, India, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, and Jamaica, is approximately 230 per 100,000 live births compared to less than 11 per 100,000 live births in developed nations. However, the latter has the lowest rates. The significant differences between these nations and developing ones are mainly caused by the easy accessibility of healthcare services in the former. Nevertheless, despite the increased access to healthcare facilities in developed nations, maternal deaths are still reported, with the USA being the main culprit. This indicates that the resolution to the problem has not been reached yet. Consequently, the economic burden resulting from the death of a mother or a child is the same regardless of a country’s development status.

Conclusion

Child and maternal mortality and morbidity rates are global health problem that has affected both developed and underdeveloped countries. Although the statistics of how this issue affects different countries in the world differ, this problem must be addressed in all countries. This is necessary as the consequences of maternal and child deaths on the economy are the same for any country with any economic status. The global strategies to reduce maternal and child health issues have not yet addressed all sectors related to mortalities, morbidities, and associated disabilities. As such, there have been significant disparities in the effects of maternal and child in high-income and low-income nations due to the inequalities in access to reproductive, maternal, and infant/newborn healthcare services. Addressing these issues is partly the work of the global nursing community that ensures universal health coverage and the strengthening of healthcare systems of both developed and underdeveloped countries. More importantly, improving the statistics of developing nations through promoting more affordable and effective treatment programs and policies is essential in ensuring that most mothers and their newborns are at a low risk of dying from preventable causes. ? References 1. Bhutta, Z. A., & Black, R. E. (2013). Global maternal, newborn, and child health – so near and yet so far. New England Journal of Medicine, 369(23), 2226-2235. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1111853 2. Creanga, A. A., Berg, C. J., Ko, J. Y., Farr, S. L., Tong, V. T., Bruce, F. C., & Callaghan, W. M. (2014). Maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States: Where are we now? Journal of Women’s Health, 23(1), 3–9. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2013.4617

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