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  • Title: Declaration of Monastir.
    Journal: IPPF Med Bull; 1985 Feb; 19(1):1-2. PubMed ID: 12339968.
    Abstract:
    The recommendations of the 2nd International Congress for Maternal and Neonatal Health, which meet in Monastir, Tunisia, in November, 1984, are presented. Participants represented many governments, numerous international health organizations, including the International Association for Maternal and Neonatal Health, several UN agncies, and a variety of professional health organizations. The representatives focused their attention on high risk pregnancies and on the unacceptably high rates of perinatal, infant, and maternal morbidity and mortality in developing countries. They noted that in many of the least developed countries there has been no imprrovement or a deterioration in infant and maternal health in recent years. They called on governments and organizations to renew their commitment to ameliorate this situation. They suggested that 1) organizations should distribute more aid to the least developed countries, 2) coordination between various UN agencies should be improved, 3) existing international and national health organizations should be strengthened and appropriate new organizations should be created, and 4) communication between the developed and less developed countries should be improved. Specific recommendations for preventing and caring for high risk pregnancy were 1) to increase prenatal visits to all maternal and child health facilities; 2) to improve the diagnosis and treatment of high risk pregnancies; 3) to promote the expansion and decentralization of health care systems, including family planning services; 4) to reduce the pregnancy rate among those under 19 years of age and among those over 35 years of age; 5) to increase birth intervals; 6) to vaccinate all pregnant women with tetanus toxoid; 7) to improve hygiene standards in the delivery of obstetrical care; 8) to promote breastfeeding; 9) to improve the nutritional status of pregnant and lactating women; and 10) to reduce smoking among pregnant women. The participants suggested that the UN agencies and other health organizations should develop and promote the use of simple and effective preventive and curative techniques, such as oral rehydration therapy. Greater efforts should be made to coordinate the health care systems in developing countries. Specifically, a liason should be created between facilities offering prenatal care and those providing delivery services, the transportion of women in labor should be improved, more information should be exchanged when patients are referred, and the collection of epidemiological data should be increased and coordinated. In Addition, educational opportunities for women should be increased, and training programs for medical personnel should be expanded. Community participation in the health care system should be encouraged, and the services of traditional birth attendants should be utilized to expand the health care delivery system in developing countries.
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