WE WOULD like to express our appreciation for citing the State of the World’s Mothers 2009 report in your May 11 issue of Sun.Star website.

While we agree with Press Secretary Cerge Remonde’s statement that “Filipino mothers are among the best in the world when it comes to loving and caring,” we stand by the findings of the report.

"The Manny Pacquiao Blog". Click here for stories and updates on the Filipino boxing champ.

The Philippines ranked 42nd out of 75 “less developed” countries in the 2009 Mothers’ Index rankings, which were based on rigorous analysis of national level data on women’s and children’s health and well-being from governments, research institutions and international agencies.

Save the Children wants to draw attention to the fact that 11 Filipino mothers die every day from complications of pregnancy and childbirth, many of which are preventable.

Given the slow rate of decrease of maternal mortality, it is unlikely that the Philippines will meet the Millennium Development target for improved maternal health as reported by the National Statistics Office.

As revealed by the State of Filipino Mothers 2008 report (the local counterpart to the State of the World’s Mothers report, published earlier this March), not only do Filipino mothers die because of biomedical causes and risk factors, they also lack access to both lifesaving care and quality maternal/reproductive health care.

Societal and cultural factors, limited knowledge about maternal health issues, and geographical and financial barriers also contribute to maternal death in specific areas of the country.

Despite ongoing programs and policies designed to improve maternal and child health, there is still a lot of work to be done in the Philippines.

The Philippines’ maternal health indicators continue to lag behind some of its counterparts in the Southeast Asian region.

This may be attributable to the absence of a national reproductive health law that would require appropriating funds to ensure full access to quality reproductive health information and services, and the poor access of Filipino mothers to health facilities and quality maternal care services.

The government is accountable for ensuring that mothers and children are protected and healthy.

Save the Children urges National Government and local government units to prioritize the well-being of Filipino mothers and children. We call on our leaders to take stock of how mothers and young children are faring in every region. Investing in this most basic partnership of all – between a mother and her child – is the first and best step in ensuring healthy children, prosperous families and strong communities.

The State of the World’s Mothers 2009 report and its methodology may be viewed at
http://www.savethechildren.org/publications/state-of-the-worlds-mothers-....

The State of Filipino Mothers 2008 report is available in print copies, and may be requested by emailing gchu@savechildren.org

Latha Caleb
Country Director
Save the Children