Maternal Mortality in Low Income Households in Lahore, Pakistan

Maternal mortality is defined as “the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.” According to the UNFPA, Pakistan has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in South Asia. One of the major reasons for this is the lack of attention paid to women’s maternal health. Studies have shown that women living in poverty are the least likely to receive adequate health care and hence are at a greater risk of maternal mortality.

A quantitative study was undertaken with 23 women who had a monthly household income of less than Rs. 25,000. Under the supervision of project leads at the Centre for Human Rights, students from the Human Rights Clinic at Universal College Lahore were involved in conducting literature review, devising a structured questionnaire, and getting the surveys filled. The data collected was analyzed to identify the common hurdles experienced by women in receiving adequate health care during pregnancy that exposes them to a greater risk of maternal mortality. Based on this, recommendations were made in order for women to have safer and healthier pregnancy experiences that reduce the chances of maternal mortality, and for Pakistan to fulfil its commitment to achieve its targets as set out in the Sustainable Development Goals.

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Principal researcher: Seher Aftab
‍Student researchers: Rida Nasir, Kainat Nawaz, Mahnum Hasnain, Shahbano Ali