Topic:
Country: Malaysia
Delegate Name: Ruchi Gupta
Malaysia’s mortality rate has declined since the colonial era through the Midwives Ordinance in 1754, which provided services. Women in low-income countries face an MMR of 346 per 100,00 live births, which is over 34 times higher than in high-income countries. MMR depending on some racial and ethnic groups, poverty and health conditions, critical national healthcare system in some countries.Ministry of Health in Malaysia created training and programs of TBA’s leading to improved healthcare with the help of UN agencies, especially gaps like the complex pregnancy cases. Federation of Family Planning Associations in Malaysia operates clinics providing family services NGOSS. Malaysia considers it an important issue as it involves human rights and addresses inequality. A failed healthcare system, public health problems can impact a person’s family. The UN has set a SDG (Sustainable Development Goal and EPMM (Ending Mortality). 2021 HRC to protect reproductive rights and eliminate mortality. Malaysia’s SDG archive just requires certain different groups who experience higher MMR and more affordable skilled birth attendants. UNFA provides training and programs and improves the healthcare system through tech assistance. In Malaysia, data collection (MSDR system) to improve MMR through identifying cause of death and implementing remedial actions and with tech assistance.
World Organizations like UNFPA help scale up their near-miss audits in line with WHO guidelines, track women who survive life-threatening complications, and address quality issues. The Ministry of Health has broadened to combat maternal anemia, expand pertussis and hepatitis B screening, and expand antenatal visits, which aligns with WHO’s Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures campaign. According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2022, 98.1% of pregnant women had at least four antenatal visits.
Malaysia is a part of EPMM (Ending preventable maternal mortality which sets targets for antenatal care, skilled birth attendance and postnatal support. With the help of WHO, Malaysia has made progress in the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis. Malaysia now wants to stop mother-to-child hepatitis B next. NGOs like the Federation of Family Planning Associations (FRAHAM) work with the MOH for safe deliveries and family planning services. The Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia Response and Relief Team (IMARET) conducts missions to remote communities, providing antenatal care and child immunization in areas with communication barriers. Mercy Malaysia provides effective treatment, early testing, nursing and health education, and social care.Malaysia has records of success in reducing maternal mortality, but faces few challenges, like trained village midwives and improved health services. It faces a few challenges, particularly high rates during the COVID-19 pandemic, which highly affect migrant workers and certain ethnic minorities. Maternal mortality in Malaysia has decreased markedly, decreasing from 210 deaths per 100 000 live births in 1963 to 26 deaths per 100,000 in 2022. Policies taken are CEMD ( Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Death ), tracking deaths, and identifying gaps in care. Malaysia’s color code and red alert systems are part of national strategies like Maternal Death Surveillance and Response (MDSR) system aiming improve work and prevent future maternal deaths.Participated in the safe motherhood initiative.Research by Malaysian states, TBAs were trained to collaborate with midwives and encourage women to attend clinics for safer deliveries.Malaysia had high antenatal care and skilled birth attendance coverage. Malaysia aligns with UN sustainable development goals ( SDG) aiming to eliminate preventable maternal deaths. While National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS), monitors maternal and child health indicators and inform policy decisions.
Malaysia has MMR mortality reduction, Infrastructure and access to healthcare (trying to improve rural maternal care), high skilled specialists, preventive measures ( like maternal anemia , postpartum haemorrhage management , ectopic pregnancy interventions), Data and monitoring such as CEMD and education for maternal health awareness. Created a system to manage pregnancies at risk through tools like color coding approach to identify pregnant women at higher risk in Antenatal risk and red alert to help emergencies in the hospital .Some improvement through specific measures Malaysia could take reducing maternal deaths outside hospitals (as 27% of maternal deaths occur at home which could be improved my community outreach and emergency systems. Malaysia could increase care for migrants and non citizens as they face financial and language barriers, could advocate low-cost maternal care access for migrants globally. Malaysia could increase better guidance and monitoring for women in specific age groups, medical issues. Recommendation Malaysia could make on an international basis would be standardized maternal death audits and causes , encouraging countries to implement maternal death like CEMD . Increasing global skilled birth attendants programs, WHO-led initiatives like providing training manuals, virtual/offline courses and hands-on workshops to learn. Provide safe and low cost care to undocumented populations. Malaysia makes recommendations for emergency protocols such as color-coded risk arrangement and high-risk antenatal approaches. Also supporting SDG compliance, encouraging all countries to regularly report maternal mortality ratios and skilled birth attendance rates.Most important, integrating education on maternal education into schools and safe reproductive health.
Malaysia can share its experience in implementing the maternal and child health programs, strong referral system and risk separation tools like color-coding.A UN-supported global training initiative to increase the number of skilled birth attendants in low-resource countries.Malaysia can ask the UN/WHO to fund: Expansion of basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric care in low-income countries. Equipment for postpartum hemorrhage, eclampsia management, and safe C-sections.A WHO-supported digital maternal health platform to help rural women access antenatal/postnatal advice.A UN-run Maternal Death Surveillance and Response System (MDSR) for every country. Annual global reporting on preventable causes of maternal death.Malaysia can offer training expertise for midwives, nurses, and community health workers, supported by technical guidance from its successful maternal death audit system. It can also provide partnerships with FRHAM and NPFDB to strengthen global family-planning programs, along with research collaboration through leading Malaysian medical universities. Additionally, Malaysia can share its effective telehealth models and near-universal antenatal care system to help countries improve maternal health access. Malaysia asks the UN and all countries to make maternal health a priority, use proven care like skilled birth support and proper reviews, and ensure every woman gets safe, equal access to healthcare.
