Jakarta (ANTARA) – At the 73rd anniversary event of the Indonesian Midwives Association, the head of the National Family Planning Board (BKKBN), Hasto Wardoyo, highlighted the significant impact of climate change on pregnancy-related health issues, including a rise in premature births.
The anniversary theme, “Midwives’ role in improving national resilience against climate crisis through synergy and collaboration,” aligns with the International Day of Midwives 2024 theme, “Midwives: Vital Climate Solution.”
Wardoyo pointed out that numerous studies indicate global warming is increasing the physiological burden on women, leading to premature births and intrauterine growth retardation due to environmental stressors.
“Floods also cause stress, and this automatically leads to complications during pregnancy,” Wardoyo explained.
Additionally, Wardoyo warned of a likely increase in pre-eclampsia cases as environmental degradation progresses with climate change. Pre-eclampsia, characterized by sudden high blood pressure after 20 weeks of pregnancy in women who usually have normal blood pressure, poses severe risks to both mother and baby.
“Global warming and new stressors, combined with unresolved past issues, make the goal of reducing the maternal mortality rate to 70 per 100,000 live births even more challenging,” he said.
Currently, Indonesia’s maternal mortality rate stands at 189 per 100,000 live births, with targets to reduce it to 183 by 2024 and 70 by 2030.
Wardoyo also highlighted that climate change triggers other health issues beyond pregnancy complications, including deaths from heat exposure, respiratory problems from water and air contamination, and food shortages. He noted that rising sea levels and global warming exacerbate problems stemming from inadequate sanitation facilities, such as toilets lacking proper plumbing, particularly for those living near coastal areas.
