UNDP Guyana

Goal 5 : Improve Maternal Health

Good progress towards improving maternal health has been made in Guyana and it has succeeded in reducing the number of maternal deaths and increasing the availability of skilled health personnel at births. Antenatal care coverage and contraceptive prevalence are on the rise. The country is currently assessed as having the potential to meet the MDG target of reducing the maternal mortality ratio by three-quarters, and has a mixed outlook on the target to achieve universal access to reproductive health.

Maternal mortality has been on a decreasing trend in recent years. The maternal mortality ratio declined from an adjusted baseline of 320 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1991 to 86 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2008. In general maternal health has improved, bolstered by almost universal antenatal care coverage, increased access to improved facilities and - a key indicator of success - that over 96 percent of births are now attended by skilled health personnel.
The key priority in maternal health is the improvement of the quality of care offered by the maternal health care team, including nurses and obstetricians.

Access to reproductive health has increased. The proportion of mothers to receive at least one session of antenatal care has increased from 92 percent in 2000 to 97.2 percent in 2009. Contraceptive use was estimated to be 42.5 percent in 2009 and presents one area in which Government intends to redouble its efforts.
Government has identified the following priority areas for further investment: increased availability of blood and fluids in all health centres, greater availability of specialist staff trained in obstetrics and gynecology, wider geographic coverage of skilled medical staff and of medical evacuation, promoting better prenatal nutrition and strengthening the system of high-risk referrals.

The table below shows the target(s) and indicators.

Table 1: MDG targets and indicators