By: Abigael Chebet
Globally, approximately 18 million women of reproductive age die every year because of non-communicable diseases. This has become the leading cause of death among pregnant women for the past years.
Specific needs of women are often excluded from conversations; especially about NCDs. Clinical research shows that these needs are often unrepresented and less considered. NCD related symptoms during pregnancy are commonly misinterpreted by most clinicians.
NCDs are commonly referred to as chronic illnesses or non-transmittable diseases caused by genetic and social factors. Those that mainly affect pregnant women are diabetes, cancer and mental health disorders.
Invisible health of pregnancy explores the factors that contribute to the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), their effects on women during reproductive age and potential solutions to this growing problem.
Social factors like gender are a major influence to maternal health and the impact of chronic illnesses to pregnant women. Globally.9p percent of men and women hold biases against women. This contributes to under-representation of women in medical researches, poor quality of reproductive and maternal treat care and overall gender inequality as manifested through gender bases violence(GBV) and in disrespect and abuse of women in maternity care.
Systematic factors like lack of enough health workforce, lack of healthcare coverage and misuse of caesarean deliveries increase the underlying diagnosis and under treatment of NCDs during pregnancy.
Globally, Obstetric transition is what is affecting the world that is a transition from maternal deaths from causes like infection and haemorrhage to maternal deaths arising from indirect causes like the non- transmittable diseases. In addition, NCDs are also causes by the use of alcohol, tobacco and chronic stress which accelerate rapid deaths and difficulties during pregnancy in women.
The rise of NCDS can be addressed to avoid much death of women in their reproductive age. These addresses seek to find solutions to this problem of non-communicable diseases.
Enhancing routine screens for NCDS before, during and Up To a year of pregnancy increases access to and quality of care with a focus on respectful and equitable care for women, emphasizing the importance of prevention and preconception care and implementation of policies to promote healthy behaviours and control marketing of unhealthy products like alcohol and tobacco.
To conclude, preventing the global rise of NCDS on pregnant women will help save more lives and promote humanity as it goes hand in hand with promoting gender equality, saving young lives of women and eradicating gender bases violence (GBV) in the world
John Kariuki