Maternal health program beefed up

The Women’s Health and Safe Motherhood Project (WHSMP) has stepped up its campaign in promoting safe motherhood through obstetrical inputs and maternal nutrition.

The project, now on its final phase, was initiated some five years ago to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity, support efforts at the local level to provide women’s health services to targeted groups of women, and, at the national level, to strengthen the Department of Health’s capability to support local government units (LGUs) in carrying out these services and activities.

Overall, 77 provinces in 16 regions were targeted by the program, co-financed by five program donors and the Philippine government.

Besides financial assistance, WHSMP also provides technical and material inputs to guarantee program results. These include strengthening of existing maternal care provided by DOH and local hospitals, and civil works to upgrade 92 obstetric hospital facilities, renovate 234 health units and construct 15 maternity homes and 10 lying-in clinics.

The 18 pilot sites distributed in five clusters are: Kalinga, Oriental Mindoro, Biliran, Apayao, Palawan, Masbate, Mt. Province, Sorsogon, Eastern Samar, Ifugao, Benguet, North Cotabato, Sulu, Maguindanao, Tawi-Tawi, Surigao del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Basilan.