Many women are putting themselves and their unborn babies at serious and unnecessary risk by delaying their first Antenatal Clinic.
This was highlighted by the Acting Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services Dr Maciusela Tuicakau at the Launch of “The Road to Safe Motherhood”.
He adds nearly 99% of women receive at least one antenatal visit while only 11% of pregnant women have an antenatal visit in their first three months.
Tuicakau says 52% of the women made their first visit in the second three months of pregnancy.
He adds women who had the lowest first three months and highest last three months of booking were women from the iTaukei community, living in rural environments, single mothers, older women, have several children and women who placed a low value on the benefits of booking in the first 3 months of pregnancy.
Tuicakau further says that the maternal mortality in Fiji has declined from the 1970s due to high quality service and increasing hospital deliveries but improvements have stagnated in recent years.
He adds poverty, low levels of education, pre-existing heart problems and other Non-Communicable Diseases were the causes of deaths in the last five years.
Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations