Each year, some 2,800 Myanmar women die in childbirth or during pregnancy, census data shows. That’s an average of 8 per day – the second highest mortality rate in Southeast Asia behind Laos.
The mortality rate climbs higher in impoverished communities, according to the report by the Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population released this week. Most women die from treatable issues like bleeding and infection.
Responding to the data, health experts called for an extensive maternal mortality survey, to examine the cause of the problem.
“Each maternal death is a tragedy,” said Janet E. Jackson, UNFPA Representative for Myanmar, in a statement. “Each maternal death has a story to tell. This is the tool that will ensure that every maternal death is counted. Once we know the true magnitude of maternal mortality and its causes, the Myanmar health system will be more able to employ practical ways to address its causes.”
Myint Kyaing, permanent secretary for the ministry, echoed demands for a follow-up survey. “This is why we need to make a survey on maternal mortality – to know why the rate is high,” he told the Myanmar Times.
Analysis of the report, 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census Thematic Report on Fertility and Nuptiality, paints a sobering picture of women, especially in rural areas, struggling to access contraceptives and quality maternal healthcare.
Married Myanmar women give birth to an average five children, with the figure soaring to nine in poverty-stricken Chin state.
“The report uncovers the hardship of parents who struggle to care for large families,” said Jackson. “It reveals the vulnerability of women who cannot access the contraceptives they want. Poor and uneducated women in remote areas carry the heaviest burden. The findings highlight the need for better family planning options, and for investment in girls’ education.”
According to the census, many women are choosing to remain single. The proportion of women who never marry – 12 per cent of the total population – is the second highest in Southeast Asia, behind Singapore. For those who do, their age at the time of their first marriage has risen to 23.6 years, from 21.3 in 1973.
