Making Motherhood Safe Book

More than 150 million women become pregnant in developing countries each year and an estimated 500,00 of them die from pregnancy-related causes. At least 7 million pregnancies result in stillbirths or infant deaths within the first week of life, also because of maternal health problems. The death of a woman of reproductive age translates into substantial economic and social hardship for her family and community. Most pregnant women receive insufficient prenatal care or none at all and deliver without access to skilled obstetrical care when complications develop. Even in countries with relatively well-developed health systems, preventable maternal illness and death persist because of inadequate management of the complications of pregnancy. To assist policymakers and program managers to design and implement programs to reduce maternal mortality, this paper discusses the lessons for reducing maternal mortality derived from experience and research in both developing and industrial countries. That evidence shows that community-based approaches such as family planning and training and the deployment of midwives have helped reduce maternal deaths in high-mortality settings. A World Bank analysis of health sector priorities identified prenatal care and delivery services as among the most cost-effective government interventions for improving adult and child health.