How Covid-19 led to a global crisis in maternity care
Pregnant women around the world have endured inadequate treatment since the start of the pandemic.
It has been one of the shadow, global stories of the pandemic: as countries moved to control Covid-19, maternity services were upended by restrictions. Only this month in the UK it was reported that a woman who was rushed to hospital due to complications following birth was not allowed to see her six-week-old son for six days because of the risk of coronavirus.
The disruption has varied from country to country and throughout the period, but it has been documented globally. Earlier this year, the UN Office of the High Commissioner issued an open call for reports on “women and girls’ sexual and reproductive health in situations of crisis”. In its submission, the Global Respectful Maternity Care Council (the Global RMC Council), which represents 150 organisations in 45 countries, stated: “Since the beginning of the pandemic women have reported a comprehensive suspension of reproductive health services worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.” This resulted from governments redirecting resources to Covid-19.