Poorest and most marginalized women continue to be most at risk of maternal death

The poorest and most marginalized women continue to face the highest risk of death from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. The authors of a special series published in The Lancet today, warn that efforts must be drastically increased to safeguard the maternal health of all women everywhere, if the good health and well-being of all people – and in turn the well-being and prosperity of communities and societies – are to be achieved.

WHO estimates that 830 women die every day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Considerable progress has been made on a global level to reduce maternal mortality – between 1990 and 2015, maternal mortality worldwide dropped by about 44%. The authors of The Lancet series note however, that at regional and national levels progress has been ‘patchy’, and that in some countries the pace of improvement appears to be slackening.

Diversity and difference

An article published in The Lancet series, which chiefly examines data on maternal mortality and morbidity, highlights how inequalities in maternal health are becoming more diverse and uneven, both within and between populations and countries. The authors note the importance for countries to recognize this uneven distribution of poor maternal health to ensure effective planning and implementation of actions to improve health. This includes the need to address inequities in wealth, socio-economic status, human rights and access to health-care

Source:World Health Organization