Health And Poverty Of Latin America - 1809 Words

Maternal Health in Bolivia Stephanie Spencer Fall 2014 Health Poverty in Latin America Section 1E Globally, maternal health is an issue that has not been given adequate attention in many regions. Many women across the world are unable to avoid many preventable health consequences of pregnancy, which are usually extreme enough to result in death. In the Latin American region, Bolivia has some of the worst maternal health care systems, due to the underdevelopment of healthcare practices, insufficient political and social concern, and a lack of public awareness. Maternal deaths are attributable to risks caused by pregnancy and childbirth themselves, as well as from the lack of proper, good quality health services (Khan,†¦show more content†¦Giving women control over their fertility could, alone, reduce maternal deaths by up to 20–35% by minimizing pregnancies to the number desired (Khan, K. et al., 2006). Furthermore, educating the community about region-wide healthcare issues, i.e. facility hygiene methods and contraception practices, has not been a concern for the La Paz district, or for Bolivia in general. In a sense, the primary causes of maternal mortality from unsafe abortion are not only excessive bleeding or infection but, rather, a failure to recognize the severity of these circumstances and the necessity for reform (Grimes, D. et al. 2006). The public deserves a more direct access to healthcare facilities, principally in rural areas in which access to health care is remarkably limited. Most of the clinics and hospitals (responsible for performing these abortions) currently existing in Bolivia require additional financial support and substantial developments (â€Å"Child and Maternal..† 2014). The Bolivian government has neglected to fulfill its responsibility of recognizing the fundamental right of its people to receiving adequate healthcare, and has not made substant ial improvements to instill safer abortion methods. Hypertension Besides abortion difficulties, there are a variety of medical complications that pregnant women are at risk of having. Some of the most prevalent illnesses affecting child-bearing