FOGSI launches ‘Manyata’ - a nationwide movement to address quality of maternal care in India
Partners with MSD for Mothers, MacArthur Foundation and
Jhpiego, in a bid to end maternal mortality
Mumbai, November 18, 2017:
FOGSI (The Federation of Obstetric
and Gynaecological Societies of India) in partnership with MSD for Mothers, MacArthur
Foundation and Jhpiego (an
affiliate of Johns Hopkins University), today launched Manyata – a nationwide movement urging the need
for quality care for mothers during and immediately after childbirth when risks
of life-threatening complications are the highest. The movement was flagged off
by Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty and Pankaja Munde, Minister of Rural
Development, Women and Child Welfare, Government of Maharashtra.
Nearly 45,000
women die in India every year during childbirth due to reasons entirely
preventable. The movement is based on the premise that culturally in India, pregnancies
tend to be focused more about babies than about mothers. A mother’s health is
critical and equally precious as her child’s health and her well-being, our
collective responsibility.
Manyata calls
for bringing all stakeholders together and raising awareness about the fact
that mothers are as important as their babies. She need tools that empower her
to make informed choices about where she seeks care during pregnancy, as minimum quality care is her
basic right. #DontForgetMoms
As a step
forward, the movement has already begun targeting private maternity providers
to adopt recognized standards for excellence in maternity services and urges all
stakeholders to build an ecosystem that supports and centers around quality maternal
care. FOGSI, MSD for Mothers and Jhpiego have begun educating, and building
capacities of private maternity providers (where 40 percent of women in India
choose to go for their deliveries) on ground to adopt and adhere to FOGSI’s
carefully-selected set of evidence-based criteria based on WHO guidelines.
Among other things, these include clinical procedures of managing care during
labour, delivery and the immediate postpartum period. Based on rigorous
assessment, the prestigious Manyata certification will be awarded to those facilities
that meet these standards. Currently available to providers in Uttar Pradesh,
Jharkhand and Maharashtra, the initiative will be rolled out nationally over
time. These efforts are being made so that every expecting women can demand a
Manyata standard of care for herself.
Pankaja Munde,
Minister of Rural Development, Women and Child Welfare, said, “It is now high
time that we put the focus back on women, their needs, their health especially
when they are expecting. Manyata should
not just be limited to private hospitals, but we should work towards
implementing this in all public hospitals across India.”
Speaking on the
initiative, Shilpa Shetty said, “It
is time that the society also cared as much about the health and well-being of
mothers during childbirth, as the baby she brings to this world. Being a
mother, I would love to see everyone coming together to join the movement and urge
all expecting mothers to insist on quality care for herself. In popular
culture, women are hailed as symbols of sacrifice and conditioned to think that
they are second to their children and spouse. This is entirely a false
perception. We must demand the very best care for ourselves especially when it
comes to motherhood. Caregivers must also give equal attention to mothers as
much as their babies,” she added.
As part of the
initiative, FOGSI will mentor a network of trained volunteers who will help
facilities improve and sustain stronger skill sets as well as facilitate
exchange of experiences. Dr. Hema Divakar, National Convenor,
Manyata and Former FOGSI President, said “Manyata is not just a promise to
expecting women for quality care, it is a reality. It is FOGSI’s approval
recognizing those who consistently deliver quality care during pregnancy and
childbirth knowing that better, safer and respectful care will reach mothers.
FOGSI’s clarion call through Manyata is to engage as many providers as we
possibly can so that no mother dies giving life. It is a direction to our
community of doctors that we must do whatever we can because she matters. We
must remember never to forget moms. We must empower her. The time is right. The
time is now.”
Feeling hopeful
that this movement is a step in the right direction, Dr. Rishma Pai, FOGSI President, added, “Supporting quality
improvement initiatives in private facilities will motivate peers to join the
quality movement. After all, be it the public or private hospital, every mother
deserves the best care wherever she chooses to go, because ‘She Matters’”
MSD for
Mothers, a key partner
in this initiative, felt that Manyata augments the
Government’s efforts to work towards reducing maternal mortality in India
through the launch of many schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit
Matritva Yojana. Dr. Naveen Rao, Lead, MSD for Mothers said, “We believe that in
order to save mothers, we must design, deploy and scale solutions in three
areas: empowering women to make informed choices, equipping health providers
with the skills, tools and technologies they need to provide high-quality care;
and strengthening health systems to sustain the delivery of high-quality
services that benefit women and their communities. As India makes giant strides,
let’s show the world – there is no scope for maternal deaths and lead by
example.”
Dr. Bulbul Sood, Country Director, Jhpiego, added, “Jhpiego in its endeavor to saving lives, improving health
and transforming futures believes that through programs like ‘Manyata’, we can
strengthen the quality of care during the most crucial period of a woman’s life
so that motherhood is an experience that is cherished and not grieved. We
expect that in partnership with FOGSI, we would be able to synergize the skills
and systems that guarantee a healthier future for women and their families.
Let’s all work together to make this a reality.”
The launch
brought together stakeholders from the national government, civil society,
doctors, development agencies and academics. The Manyata logo and a website – www.manyataformothers.org
were officially
unveiled during the event. A short public awareness film, Don’t Forget Moms, was
also shown in a bid to encourage private facilities to join the quality bandwagon.
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