Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period. You have the right to access and obtain the necessary maternal health care services free of charge in accordance with the conditions set out in Latvian Law.
Right to maternal health care
Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period. You have the right to equally access and obtain the necessary maternal health care services in a timely manner. This medical assistance should be provided free of charge in accordance with the conditions set out in Latvian Law.
Medical assistance & State financing
In Latvia, the State provides fully financed medical assistance during pregnancy and child birth, which means that you do not need to pay a patient co-payment for State-paid health care services related to pregnancy and childbirth.
This State-financed medical assistance covers any necessary treatment:
- for women and the foetus during pregnancy
- for the mother and baby during labour at a medical institution
- for the mother and baby in the postnatal period (up to 70 calendar days following labour)
You have the right to access and receive free medical assistance only at medical institutions which have a contract with the National Health Service. Maternal health care services that are State-funded, and the conditions and the extent to which such funding applies, are set out in the Procedures for the Organisation of and Payment for Health Care Services.
example The State fully finances medical assistance during childbirth at hospitals. However, Latvian law does not provide for free medical assistance during a home birth.
- Read more about Pregnancy & Child birth in this Guide.
- Read more about Access to reproductive health care in this Guide.
- Read more about State-paid health care services in this Guide.
Maternal health care & Human Rights
The right to health also includes monitoring and necessary medical assistance during pregnancy, childbirth and in the postnatal period, as well as the prevention and treatment of diseases related to the maternal health of the woman and the health of the foetus and the newborn. These rights are also linked to the right to life , the right to private life and the prohibition of ill-treatment.
About this section
In this section you can learn about the types of maternal health care, such as the health care provided during pregnancy, childbirth and in the postnatal period.