Based on research concerning the access and use of reproductive health services by impoverished women in six districts and one city, this book aims to determine a spearhead to break the persistence of high maternal mortality rate in Indonesia. This book argues that, on the one hand, there is a lack of political will to generate policy and budget allocations to fulfill women’s reproductive health needs. On the other hand, poverty, bad road infrastructure, remoteness of residences, and lack of public transportation are reasons that impoverished women living in remote areas consider hospitals in the cities and Community Health Centers (puskesmas) in the sub-districts to be too far to reach and too expensive to afford. Therefore, the government should pass a “One Village, One Polindes, One Bidan” policy and allocate a sufficient budget to bring adequate health facilities closer to the homes of impoverished women in rural areas. Effective implementation of the “One Village, One Polindes, One Bidan” policy does not only depend on budget adequacy.

 

This book argues that successful implementation of the policy also depends on the effectiveness of public education in gender equality and justice to make husbands and families of impoverished women in the remote areas think that women’s lives are worth saving. The fact that impoverished women do not have control over their bodies is a major stumbling block to the reduction of the high maternal mortality rate in the country. Education in gender equality and justice should also be provided to policy makers.

 

A comprehensive national health insurance that covers the whole population, including impoverished women living in remote areas, would be an icing on the cake for the effective implementation of the “One Village, One Polindes and One Bidan” policy, however, the successful passage of this policy will requires a sufficient number of gender-sensitive policy makers.

 

Chapter I
Introduction: The Persistence of Maternal Mortality in Indonesia

Chapter II
Lack of Political Will and Budget Allocation for Women’s Reproductive Health

Chapter III
Insufficient Quality and Quantity of Reproductive Health Workers

Chapter IV
Village Maternity House (Polindes) as a Spearhead of Maternal Mortality Reduction (MMR)

Chapter V
Traditional Midwives as Partners

Chapter VI
The Authority over Women’s Bodies and the High MMR

Conclusion
One Village, One Polindes, One Bidan (Midwive)

Download the E-book In Search of a Spearhead to Reduce Maternal Mortality in Indonesia

Editor: Edriana Noerdin
Published by: Women Research Institute, 2011
Pages: xxii +189 pages
ISBN: 978-979-99305-9-0
Price: –

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