Effects of COVID-19 on maternal institutional delivery: Fear of a rise in maternal mortality

摘要

Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), the word has witnessed multidimensional problems and challenges. The global social, economic and public health sectors are more vulnerable and going through an unprecedented crisis. During this overwhelm pandemic, maternal mortality could be exacerbated due to the redirection of health care services towards COVID-19. The continuous lockdown, fear of getting infected with COVID-19 and massive disruption in the provision of maternal health services (such as antenatal and postnatal care) has resulted in a significant decline in the institutional delivery rate in Bangladesh [1]. These disruptions could push back many low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) endeavour on ensuring safe institutional deliveries.