Maternal Health:

• The number of mothers who die as a result of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth

• Measured by the number of maternal deaths per 100 000 live births

• Five main causes of maternal deaths:                                                                  

1. Haemorrhage (excessive bleeding)

2. Sepsis (whole body infection)

3. Unsafe abortion

4. Obstructed labour

5. Hypertensive disease                                                                                           

• 99% of maternal deaths occur in developing Countries 

• Purpose of goal:

• Reduce the number of deaths of women that occur as a result of pregnancy and childbirth

• Increase access to reproductive services and health care

• Educate women with appropriate information to improve their health prior to, during and following childbirth

Importance of goal:

• Improving maternal health improves health of whole community

  • Mother is alive and well to continue caring for herself

  • Mother can continue to care for her family

• Educating women about maternal health improves community health

  • Mother can plan her pregnancies and is aware of positive  health practices prior to, during and after childbirth

  • Mother will pass on her knowledge to her daughters and other women

Targets of goal:

1. To have reduced by ¾ the maternal mortality ratio by 2015

• All five of the main causes of maternal deaths are preventable if women have access to health care and professionals leading up to childbirth and a health professional in attendance when they give birth.

• In prenatal care health professionals are able to detect future complications like high blood pressure and issues that might lead to birthing obstructions. Early detection of these issues means medication can be administered and/or a caesarean planned so that birthing complications do not arise.

• Giving birth with a health professional nearby or, ultimately, in a clinic or hospital greatly reduces the risk of infection because conditions are hygienic and safe practices are followed. If complications arise attendants are present to assist.

1. To have made health care universally accessible by 2015

• Many women and girls of reproductive age do not have access to contraceptives of family planning services. Access to these things allows for women to plan the number of children they will have and the spacing and timing of them. Family planning improves the woman’s health and also ensures the family is financially able to meet the needs of all children. Together these two things improve the health of the whole family.

• Family planning reduces the number of unsafe abortions because women are able to control the number of children they have and do not have unplanned pregnancies which are the main reason for abortions.

• Access to health care improves the health of mother and child leading up to birth and greatly reduces the number of birthing complications that increase maternal mortality rates.

Affected Areas:

• The ten worst places to be a mother are:

  • Niger

  • Chad

  • Yemen

  • Sierra Leone

  • Angola

  • Guinea-Bissau

  • Eritrea

  • Djibouti

  • Mali

  • Ethiopia

• Less than half the women giving birth in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia are attended by skilled health-care workers

• Women with secondary education are four times more likely to use contraceptive than uneducated women