National Safe Motherhood Day 2023: Ensuring Health Care and Facilities for Maternal Care

To create awareness about the health of pregnant women and maternal care National Safe Motherhood Day is observed every year in India on April 11th.

Hyderabad: World Health Organisation has expressed its concern over the death of lakhs of pregnant women around the globe every year. The rate of maternal deaths in India is alarming, as around 12 per cent of the world's maternal deaths occur in India. Statistically, around 45 thousand women die in India every year due to a lack of proper pregnancy care. In order to create awareness about the health of pregnant women and maternal care April 11th is observed as National Safe Motherhood Day every year in India.

The increasing phenomenon of maternal deaths around the world has generated concerns all around. A non-government organisation called White Ribbon Alliance requested the Government of India to create public awareness around this issue. And therefore, on behalf of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Government of India announced the National Safe Motherhood Day in 2003, on April 10th, the birth anniversary of Kasturba Gandhi.

Around 45 thousand mothers lose their lives while giving birth in the country every year, which is 167 women out of one lakh. To reduce this number, it is necessary to provide quality health facilities to women during pregnancy and even after motherhood, and considering this, the government of India started observing National Safe Motherhood Day in 2003 and is making efforts to provide various health facilities to thousands of pregnant women.

Apparently, due to the efforts of the Indian Government, the maternal mortality rate has decreased rapidly in the country. According to government statistics, the maternal mortality rate has reduced by 67 per cent in the country, in comparison to 1990-2011-2013.