Promoting Respectful Maternity Care in Mozambique

The objective of this document is to share the results of work undertaken in Mozambique to promote respectful health care, particularly in maternal and neonatal care. With its origins in “humanization of care” efforts in Latin America, this approach centers on the woman and her family and is grounded by principles of ethics and respect for human rights. The approach recognizes a client’s cultural background, and views the client as a person with values and expectations that should be respected during the provision of health care. Respectful maternity care (RMC) emphasizes the fundamental rights of the mother, newborn, and family, and recognizes that childbirth is a deeply personal experience for each woman and her family. In addition, RMC ensures that the client has timely access to health information, privacy, and evidence-based care. Promoting RMC can result in many benefits, including increased service utilization and better health outcomes. It is known that women refuse care from health providers who treat them poorly, even if these providers are capable of preventing or managing obstetric or newborn complications. In countries where a large proportion of births occur outside health facilities, RMC can contribute to increased uptake of maternal and newborn health (MNH) services.