AZE.US
Maternal deaths during childbirth remain a serious concern in Azerbaijan, particularly in rural and remote parts of the country.
Of 26 registered maternal deaths, 16 occurred in rural areas and 10 in cities, according to the latest regional breakdown.
Obstetrician-gynecologist and surgeon Gunay Asadova said the most serious problems are often seen in remote districts, where pregnant women may struggle to reach specialized medical facilities in time.
She identified Azerbaijan’s southern regions, as well as Tovuz, Gazakh and other areas far from Baku and major medical centers, as places where delays in emergency care can become especially dangerous.
According to Asadova, transporting a pregnant woman from a remote district to a specialized hospital can take too long. In life-threatening cases, even a short delay may prove fatal.
She stressed that maternal mortality cannot be linked to a single cause.
One of the main problems is that some women do not register for medical care during the early stages of pregnancy and do not receive regular prenatal monitoring.
Many pregnant women, Asadova said, mistakenly believe they need to see a doctor only when a problem develops or their condition worsens.
Another major risk is the failure to identify high-risk pregnancies early enough. Women with serious risk factors should be referred to specialized medical institutions in advance, but this does not always happen.
Underlying health conditions can also go undetected when pregnant women are not regularly monitored. These conditions may worsen during pregnancy and lead to fatal complications.
Medical specialists say maternal deaths can be prevented through early registration, regular prenatal checkups and the timely referral of high-risk patients to specialized hospitals.
AZE.US