PHA-Exchange> MATERNAL DEATHS DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES + Annexe

[Aviva]

> > MATERNAL DEATHS DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH IN DEVELOPING 
COUNTRIES

> > African women are 175 times more likely to die in childbirth than
women in
> > developed regions of the world
> >
> > Geneva, New findings on maternal mortality by WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA
show
> > that a woman living in sub-Saharan Africa has a 1 in 16 chance of
dying in
> > pregnancy or childbirth. This compares with a 1 in 2,800 risk for a
woman
> > from a developed region. These findings are contained in a new
global
> > report on maternal mortality released today online by the three
agencies
> > at
www.who.int/reproductive-health/MNBH/maternal_mortality_2000/index.htm.
> >
> > Of the estimated 529,000 maternal deaths in 2000, 95 per cent
occurred in
> > Africa and Asia, while only 4 per cent (22,000) occurred in Latin
America
> > and the Caribbean, and less than one per cent (2,500) in the more
> > developed regions of the world.
> >
> > Experience from successful maternal health programmes shows that
much of
> > this death and suffering could be avoided if all women had the
assistance
> > of a skilled health worker during pregnancy and delivery, and
access to
> > emergency medical care when complications arise.
> >
> > "Many women deliver their children alone or with family members or
other
> > untrained attendants who lack the skills to deal with complications
during
> > delivery," said Dr LEE Jong-wook, Director-General of the World
Health
> > Organization. "Skilled attendants are vital because they can
recognise and
> > prevent medical crises and provide or refer for life-saving care
when
> > complications arise. They also provide mothers with basic
information
> > about care for themselves and their children before and after
giving
> > birth."
> >
> > Reducing maternal mortality is a key factor in ensuring that all
children,
> > especially in the world's poorest countries, survive and thrive
through
> > adolescence.
> >
> > "These new estimates indicate an unacceptably high number of women
dying
> > in childbirth and an urgent need for increased access to emergency
> > obstetric care, especially in sub-Saharan Africa," said UNICEF
Executive
> > Director Carol Bellamy. "The widespread provision of emergency
obstetric
> > care is essential if we want to reduce maternal deaths."
> >
> > The maternal mortality ratio, which measures the number of deaths
to women
> > per 100,000 lives births due to pregnancy-related complications,
was
> > estimated to be 400 per 100,000 live births globally in 2000. By
region,
> > it was highest in Africa (830), followed by Asia - excluding Japan
(330),
> > Oceania - excluding Australia and New Zealand (240), Latin America
and the
> > Caribbean (190) and the developed countries (20).
> >
> > Worldwide, 13 developing countries accounted for 70 per cent of all
> > maternal deaths. The highest number occurred in India where 136,000
women
> > died, followed by Nigeria where there were 37,000 deaths.
> >
> > In 2000, world leaders agreed to reduce maternal mortality by
> > three-quarters by 2015, as part of the Millennium Development Goals
> > (MDGs). Tracking progress remains difficult, except where
comprehensive
> > registration of deaths, including causes of death, exists. For this
> > reason, the use of indicators such as the proportion of women who
have a
> > skilled attendant at delivery is essential to track change.
> >
> >
> > The use of skilled attendants at delivery in developing countries
> > increased between 1990 and 2000 from 42 to 52 per cent, suggesting
a
> > potential decrease in maternal deaths. Findings show the greatest
> > improvements in South East Asia and Northern Africa and the slowest
change
> > in sub Saharan Africa, which went from 40 per cent in 1990 to 43
per cent
> > in 2000.
> >
> > Most maternal deaths and disability occur as the result of one or
more of
> > three delays: a delay in recognizing complications; a delay in
reaching a
> > medical facility; or a delay in receiving good quality care.
Efforts to
> > address these delays are essential in order to save the lives of
mothers
> > and babies.
> >
> > Education on family planning and the provision of family planning
services
> > of high quality can also make a difference.
> >
> > "More lives could be saved if women had access to voluntary family
> > planning to ensure that births are spaced properly, skilled
attendance at
> > delivery, and emergency obstetric care. UNFPA is committed to
reducing the
> > high levels of maternal death and disability that exist today,"
said
> > Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA.
> >
> > The death of a mother during pregnancy or childbirth is a human
tragedy at
> > the individual, family and societal levels. The chances of survival
not
> > only of the newborn but also of the other children are
substantially
> > diminished when the mother dies.
> >
> > As the focal agencies within the United Nations system for the
health of
> > women and children, WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA pledge to enhance - both
> > individually and jointly in collaboration with their partners -
their
> > efforts in assisting countries strengthen their maternal health
> > programmes.
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