A Kelowna man continues his personal battle to save new mothers from maternal mortality and morbidity during childbirth.
Retired Kelowna businessman Paul Carr lost his wife Kitty during childbirth on Dec. 31, 1994.
Since then, Carr has dedicated much of his time and energy trying to make sure others don't suffer the same fate.
"I feel a profound responsibility to my wife and daughter and to support women's health in Canada," Carr says.
Since retiring in 2017, Carr has worked with the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada and their charitable arm the Canadian Foundation Women’s Health to end preventable maternal and infant mortality and morbidity in Canada by 2030.
"Sadly Canada is ranked 39th globally and whilst there are no accurate statistics, estimates are that some 80 mothers and 40 infants die every year giving birth in Canada," Carr says.
Since then, Carr has launched the Kitty Carr Fund and has tirelessly campaigned to improve survival odds for mothers and infants. Carr spoke at the first-ever summit on maternal mortality in Ottawa on June 6, 2023.
"I really sensed the momentum and enthusiasm that finally Canada is heading in the right direction as I saw the collaboration amongst these 120 plus delegates."
Carr says he feels the needle is starting to move since he launched the Kitty Carr Fund in 2021, "the fund is approaching the $500,000 mark," says Carr.
"Sixty per cent of maternal mortality and infant mortality and morbidity is preventable. And my goal is to eliminate that 60 per cent," Carr says.
The incidence rate of maternal morbidity, or near misses is about 85 times that of maternal mortality, Carr says and in many cases, these mothers are left with lifelong debilitating illnesses.
Six provinces including British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland have established provincial maternal mortality review committees which will allow provinces to share data anonymously and work together to identify national trends.
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada's chief scientific officer Dr. Jocelynn Cook said the tool kit will give health providers a standardized approach to review maternal deaths to allow for more in-depth and consistent data collection.
Statistics Canada says the maternal mortality rate was 8.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2018.
"I'm amazed when I talk to people you know, ordinary people even here in Kelowna, they invariably say they know, somebody who had those sorts of complications, and so these efforts will help the entire country," says Carr.
