Maternal Mortality and Morbidity

See Also:

Related Topics page:

Gender

Family Health International (FHI) assists developing country governments and health organizations in generating and implementing strategies to improve maternal and infant care. We also provide technical assistance to Columbia University's Averting Maternal Death and Disability (AMDD) Program. AMDD works to (1) catalyze policy and funding processes at the international level to increase equitable and affordable access to emergency obstetric and newborn care and (2) generate new knowledge on maternal health and child mortality.  

Pregnancy-related complications claim the lives of an estimated 515,000 women worldwide every year, with most of these deaths occurring in the developing world. For women in industrialized countries, the lifetime risk of death from pregnancy complications is 1 in 2,800, but that risk for women worldwide is 1 in 74.

The leading causes of maternal mortality are hemorrhage, obstructed labor, hypertension-related disorders, and infection. HIV, malaria, and anemia also take a huge toll on pregnant women living in areas of high prevalence. The majority of these deaths could be prevented with access to quality emergency obstetric care. Furthermore, family planning services can play a major role in preventing maternal deaths by reducing health risks associated with unplanned pregnancy.