Mumbai, Friday October 21, 2005:

Maternal Mortality statistics in South Asia are mind boggling. Every year approximately 600,000 women die of pregnancy-related causes globally and 99% of these deaths occur in developing countries.

India alone accounts for a quarter of these deaths and has the third highest maternal mortality rate at 407 per 1,00,000 births -- below Timor-Leste (800) and Nepal (415). Even countries like Thailand and Malaysia have a lower Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) than India. It is a matter of shame that Maternal Mortality continues to be an unaddressed public health problem.

The Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) started from humble beginnings, when 5 local Obstetric and gynaecological societies of Bombay, Ahmedabad, Madras, Bengal and Punjab joined hands to form the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India under the leadership provided by Dr. Ida Scudder, the first President of the federation. This organisation has grown from strength to strength to now become a conglomerate of 184 societies representing over 20,500 professionals throughout the length and breadth of the country. This organisation is affiliated to the International federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (FIGO), The Asia Oceania Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and the South Asian Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. FOGSI has played a leading role in shaping International opinions in this speciality. As a matter of fact, FOGSI members have been elected to the highest office of President of these prestigious bodies.

In India, FOGSI has provided a platform for the exchange and spread of academic information in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. FOGSI strives to disseminate information and provide updates in professional advances through its academic wing – The Indian college of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, through the medium of its journal and through conferences, workshops and continuity of medical education programs. – In the current year FOGSI has taken up the theme of promoting information and practical demonstration on the topic of ‘Optimizing Labour and Delivery for Safe Motherhood’. AstraZeneca has joined hands with FOGSI in promoting this year’s theme through a public awareness campaign ‘ANMOL ANCHAL’. Over 60 safe motherhood workshops on the FOGSI theme have been conducted for doctors (including government doctors) in cities and towns across India over the past one year.

Now, FOGSI and AstraZeneca have decided to project the Safe motherhood goal into the public domain to increase awareness of safe labour practices – women don’t necessarily have to be compromised while giving birth to a new life. Several indigenously developed protocols, more suitable to the needs of our country have been extensively evaluated in field trials to assure safe labour outcome and also to provide relief from the pain and agony of the ‘birthing’ process.

Traditionally, societies have taken “labour pains” for granted, an inevitable part of the process of becoming a mother. Modern medicine has eased the process considerably and the Anmol Anchal campaign is aimed at communicating the following messages
§ Close clinical monitoring of labour
§ Humane approach to labour – Providing relief from pain
§ Active management of the third stage of labour – Preventing undue blood loss.

According to the `World Health Report 2005 — ‘Make Every Mother and Child Count' -- an estimated 1.5 lakh maternal and one million newborn deaths take place each year in India. For every woman who dies, at least 30 suffer injuries and often-permanent disabilities. Most maternal deaths happen during the process of childbirth and immediately thereafter.

The major causes of these deaths have been identified as haemorrhage (before and after birth), toxaemia (hypertension during pregnancy), anaemia, obstructed labour, puerperal sepsis (infections after delivery) and unsafe abortion.

This is why the Fifth Millennium Development Goal of the UN is to improve maternal health, by reducing the Maternal Mortality ratio by three-quarters between 1990 and 2015.

According to Dr. Shyam Desai, President, Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Societies of India, “We have initiated the ‘Optimising Labour and Delivery for Safe Motherhood Campaign’ to spread awareness of safe motherhood and thereby advance the agenda for reproductive health in a number of ways. Reducing Maternal Mortality is not solely about saving women's lives, it is about increasing the general quality of care and the information mothers-to-be receive before becoming pregnant. Educating women about pregnancy management will help them and the professionals treating them, by empowering them to make responsible choices, allowing them to lead healthy lives for themselves and their children."

Doctors believe that lack of skilled birth attendants and absence of sufficient numbers of primary medical care centres combined with ignorance among families have resulted in India having one of the worst report cards on Maternal Mortality in the world.

During childbirth, it is important to ensure proper care. In the hands of an unskilled birth attendant, both the mother and child are exposed to avoidable risks.

In a country where a majority of women are still delivering babies outside hospitals, India needs to address this situation on a priority basis.

“The FOGSI Theme of ‘Optimising Labour and Delivery for Safe Motherhood is an excellent initiative towards achieving the national objective of ensuring Safe Motherhood amongst Indian women. Since labour and delivery-related complications remain the single ‘largest contributor to the high MMR in India, Optimising Labour Protocol is extremely relevant and certainly deserves a special focus in contemporary times.

At AstraZeneca, Mr. Bhasker Iyer, Managing Director, AstraZeneca India Pvt. Ltd, says that we are committed to partnering with FOGSI in the pursuit of Safe Motherhood in India”,
AstraZeneca’s Commitment towards Safe Motherhood: AstraZeneca first contribution to the cause of Safe Motherhood started when it launched it’s first drug for Labour Management in the year 1989 that has revolutionised labour management in India and equipped the obstetricians of our country with an option that could facilitate delivery and reduce the incidence of post-partum haemorrhage – the leading cause of Maternal Mortality in India. It helps to save precious lives. In continuation with it’s commitment towards the cause of Safe Motherhood in India, the company has chosen to join hands with FOGSI in creating awareness about the theme of ‘Optimizing Labour and Delivery for Safe Motherhood’ meant to make labour & delivery safer. While we have successfully organised 60 labour workshops and symposia, there is a need for public awareness on this very vital subject.
Anmol Anchal aims at bringing the focus on the mother (who has not received the attention she deserves) and underlines her importance as the cornerstone of a healthy family. A healthy family is the constituent of a healthy society and a vibrant nation.

For more information, please visit www.astrazenecaindia.com or contact:
Caylyn Rodrigues/Bhavna Thapar
R&PM:Edelman
22825787 / 932 3047408
Email: caylyn.rodrigues@rnpmc.com/bhavna.thapar@rnpmc.com