Healthcare for mothers (women of childbearing age) and children is known as mother and child healthcare. Women in their reproductive age ranges, such as those between the ages of 15 and 49, children, people in their school-age years, and adolescents, are the focus of mother and child healthcare. Maternal and child health care is a topic that is receiving more attention and concern across the globe, especially in developing nations.
After the World Summit for Children in 1991, which gave significant consideration and specified vital areas to be addressed in providing maternal and child health care services, this dedication to mother and child healthcare evolved further. The primary driver of market growth is the rise in mother and child healthcare services. Additionally, parents' willingness to consult with super-specialists drives the market for healthcare for mothers and children.
Mother and child healthcare services are the leading priorities of community health programs. According to the WHO, the mother and child healthcare services are "promoting, preventing, therapeutic, or rehabilitation facility or care for mother and child. Furthermore, an increase in awareness about health is growing. However, most developing countries cannot meet the targeted goals of reducing child and maternal mortality, owing to inadequate access to health services and a lack of awareness.
Countries such as India, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Sri Lanka need to increase the quality of maternal child care by raising financial incentives for health care and increasing funds for the proper utilization of available resources. For instance, in India, there are many services offered by the government of India, such as Janani Suraksha Yojana, Janani Express, 1098 service, facility-based newborn care service, and home-based newborn care.
Additionally, mother and child healthcare services aim to reduce maternal and infant mortality and morbidity by preventing the spread of infections from mother to child, monitoring children's development, nutrition, and mental health, and fostering an environment that is healthy for both mother and child. The opportunity to avoid or control direct causes of maternal mortality, such as bleeding, obstructed labor, and decreased fetal and neonatal fatalities associated with obstetric problems, can also be provided by appropriate utilization and reasonable care to boost the adoption of mother and child healthcare services, which further fuels market expansion.
Reproductive tourism is the practice of traveling to other countries for fertility treatments. The critical reasons for reproductive tourism are legal prohibitions, stringent regulations, non-availability of fertility procedures in home countries, lower costs, and technological advancements in fertility tourism destinations. However, it should be noted that different countries have different sets of regulations regarding fertility tourism. For instance, Costa Rica recently lifted a 16-year-old ban on IVF. Furthermore, since American infertility treatments have a greater success rate than those in Europe, many people, especially Europeans, prefer to travel to North America for fertility tourism. Additionally, North America is favored for fertility tourism because of lax rules.
Asia-Pacific is the highest shareholder and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 15.7% during the forecast period. A rise in mortality rates, an increase in the trend of late pregnancies, a surge in IVF success rates, and an increase in disposable income in the region are expected to contribute significantly to the Asia-Pacific mother and child healthcare market. For instance, one woman in India loses her life during childbirth every eight minutes, or nearly 56,000 times a year. Worldwide, 19% of maternal deaths are attributable to this.
North America is the second largest region and is projected to reach USD 405.0 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 11.4%. Due to its large population, raising awareness of maternity services and fertility treatments, the increasing popularity of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the United States, the growing rate of infertility, technological advancements, and delayed pregnancy trends, North America offers profitable opportunities for players operating in the mother and child healthcare market. It is also projected that an increase in the trend of women delaying childbearing will fuel market expansion.
Europe is the third-largest region. WHO/Europe has regular collaborative agreements on this particular issue with several countries, and national professional staff is based in the WHO country offices specifically to support health system reform. The region has also witnessed substantial investments from global market leaders. In addition, the overall outlook for the European market looks promising as its superior IVF technology attracts considerable investments from private equity investors. In addition, DIY (do-it-yourself) testing has increased access and helped in reducing costs for infertility testing and treatment. Both these factors provide lucrative opportunities for market growth.
Key Highlights
The key players in the global mother and child healthcare market are Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd., Carle Foundation Hospital, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Christiana Care - Christiana Hospital, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Institutes, Cloudnine Hospital, Ann & Robert Lurie Children's Hospital, Riley Hospital, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre.