POLICY REVIEW AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF MATERNAL AND NEONATAL CASES TO REDUCE MMR AND IMR: A TIBBUN NABAWI PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Indonesia continues to face a significant challenge in achieving the SDG targets for maternal and neonatal health. Despite the implementation of national policies such as the Emergency Maternal and Neonatal Care / EMAS program, the Maternal Delivery Planning and Complication Prevention / P4K initiative, and 24-hour PONEK hospitals, the Maternal Mortality Rate / MMR and Infant Mortality Rate / IMR remain above the national target. The three main causes of maternal death—hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, and infection—along with neonatal deaths due to prematurity, birth asphyxia, and sepsis, are still largely associated with delays in decision-making, transportation, and facility-based care. 

The current situation shows that while clinical protocols are available, gaps persist in community preparedness, early detection at the village level, and integration of culturally acceptable health practices. Many communities still rely on traditional beliefs and spiritual approaches during pregnancy and childbirth. This creates both a challenge and an opportunity: to bridge evidence-based medicine with local values so that interventions are not only clinically effective but also socially accepted.