– The 2-day conference commenced today is witnessing the participation of eminent medical professionals across the world, deliberating on promoting natural birthing in India

Hyderabad, 4th November 2023: India’s leading maternity healthcare provider, Fernandez Hospital Educational and Research Foundation (FHERF) is hosting the country’s first-ever ‘Better Birthing Experience Conference’ on November 4 & 5 in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF).

The event which is being held at Hotel Marigold, Hyderabad is conducting brainstorming sessions over the critical issue of improving maternal and child health delivery and outcomes in India by improving Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and reducing unnecessary C-section procedures.

Despite a significant decline in India’s MMR in recent years, the scope for further improvement is huge. As per the latest data, MMR has improved to 97 during the 2018-20 period from 103 reported in the 2017-19 period.

In addition to maternity health care, the country has been witnessing an alarming rise in C-section deliveries in recent years. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), while Cesarean section (CS) can be a life-saving procedure when performed without appropriate indications can add risk to both mother and baby. Unnecessary Cesarean sections also overload the health system and create a financial burden for patients.

National Family Health Survey (NFHS) reports showed, the trend of C-section deliveries in India has been on the rise and reached 21.5 per cent during the 2019-21 period. Among states, the highest percentage of C-section deliveries has been seen in Telangana.

In this context, ‘The Better Birthing Experience’ conference is focused on listening to women’s voices to promote natural, safe, and positive birth experiences. This event is hosting obstetricians, gynaecologists, post-graduates, nurses, midwives, and childbirth educators across the globe. 

Eminent faculties from different reputed institutions are participating in a series of immersive workshops, paper presentations, special talks, and panel discussions in the two-day programme, which is centred around fostering a positive birthing experience and reducing unnecessary medical interventions.

Importantly, the highlight of the conference is listening to women’s voices from all walks of life. Women from diverse backgrounds with varied birthing experiences are sharing their views on different aspects of birthing in the two-day event.

“India’s quest to emerge as a $5 trillion economy by 2025 can only be realised through women empowerment and rising participation of women in the workforce. To achieve this objective, maternity healthcare plays a critical role. In India, the MMR is still at an unacceptably high level. Meanwhile, unnecessary C-section procedures are being performed at an alarming rate. To ensure better healthcare outcomes, natural birthing has to be vigorously promoted in society. Through the ‘Better Birthing Experience Conference’, Fernandez Hospital Educational and Research Foundation (FHERF) is on a mission to ensure better maternity care for Indian women by bringing in all stakeholders at one platform, which will lead to affirmative policy action,” said Dr Evita Fernandez, Managing Trustee at Fernandez Hospital Educational and Research Foundation (FHERF).

Fernandez Hospital has been at the forefront of improving birthing practices in India through several initiatives such as the introduction of midwifery training and capacity building, natural birthing, introducing birth companions during labour and childbirth, childbirth education, and several other maternal and neonatal interventions to improve outcomes for mothers and newborns since its inception in 1999.

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