Review Article
Year: 2019 | Month: August | Volume: 9 | Issue: 8 | Pages: 467-472
A Need for Maternal Health Literacy to Promote Maternal and Neonatal Health: A Review
Priyanka Tripathi1, Dr. Neetu Singh2
1Research Scholar, 2Supervisor,
Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow.
Corresponding Author: Priyanka Tripathi
ABSTRACT
According to UNICEF report Millennium Development Goal 5 (MDG 5) had set the targets of reducing maternal mortality by 75% and achieving universal access to reproductive health by 2015 for improving the maternal health. But, so far progress in reducing maternal mortality in developing countries and providing family planning services has been too slow to meet the targets. Susan Renkert and Don Nutbeam defined “the cognitive and social skills that determine the motivation and ability of women to gain access to, understand, and use information in ways that promote and maintain their health and that of their children. Specifically, it investigates the feasibility of using the concept of health literacy to guide the content and process of antenatal classes.” Thus it is the felt need to enhance the maternal health literacy to promote maternal and neonatal health. Low coverage of life-saving preventive health interventions, unsatisfactorily access of health services, stemming from unhealthful social norms, attitudes and practices, and lack of knowledge among mothers, their family groups and healthcare providers in both the public and private sector contribute to maternal, newborn and child mortality and morbidity in India.
Key words: Health literacy, maternal health and neonatal health.