Migori County; Improved access to reproductive health services key in improving maternal health The World Health Organization defines Reproductive Health as the complete state of physical, social and mental well-being of a person and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity in all matters relating to reproductive health.This implies that people are able to have a responsible satisfying and a safe sexual life and that they have the capacity to reproduce and freedom to decide if, or when and how often to do so. That all persons, especially women, need access to sexual and reproductive health information and services cannot be overemphasized. These services must be safe, effective, affordable and acceptable to them if they are to enjoyed. Women in Migori County cannot boast of the same. A survey carried out by the Ministry of Public Health services revealed that out of two hundred pregnant women, less than half delivered in a health facility. Even more worrying is that half of them were not attended to by skilled birth attendants, a situation that has greatly contributed to the high incidences of maternal mortality in the county. Inadequate health centers force pregnant women to look for unskilled personnel because the health facilities are located so far away from their area of residence which make them very hard to access. Poor infrastructure has also been cited as major problem since most roads are in very bad condition making it very hard for a pregnant woman to visit health facilities Most women are school dropouts, mostly due to teenage pregnancies.They thus lack information on most of the basic factors on maternal health and reproductive health at large. They usually don’t see the importance of delivering in a health center and may mostly prefer midwives. Religious beliefs are equally to blame for this worrying statistics. A vast majority are deeply rooted into their religious beliefs that seeking healthcare services is like insulting the protective role of the giver of life. They thus prefer to give birth at home and let their heavenly master watch over them. Harassment by health workers also contributes to pregnant women not visiting the health centers to deliver and prefer the midwives or seek these services elsewhere where they are treated better and get assistance on delivery. Whereas the government in collaboration with other organizations have tried hard to achieve Millennium Development Goal number five on improving maternal health through programs such as the First Lady’s “Beyond Zero Campaign, we still aren’t where we need to be. Article 43 of our constitution guarantees all Kenyans the right to the highest attainable standard of health services including reproductive health. Women in Migori County must not be denied that crucial right. For us to address the high maternal mortality rates in Migori County and Kenya at large, there’s need to ensure access to information and services. The county government and civil society organization s must work together to ensure that gloom and darkness don’t hang over this happy moment like the proverbial sword of Damocles.
