10 Facts on Maternal Health

We found this amazing 10 FACTS on MATERNAL HEALTH

Well, we think that you need to know about these. Try reading!

Fact 1

Worldwide, 1000 women die every day due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth - up to 358 000 women per year. In developing countries, conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth constitute the second leading causes (after HIV/AIDS) of death among women of reproductive age.

Fact 2

Four main killers cause around 70% of maternal deaths worldwide: severe bleeding, infections, unsafe abortion, and hypertensive disorders (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia). Bleeding after delivery can kill even a healthy woman, if unattended, within two hours. Most of these deaths are preventable.

Fact 3

More than 136 million women give birth a year. About 20 million of them experience pregnancy-related illness after childbirth. The list of morbidities is long and diverse, and includes fever, anemia, fistula, incontinence, infertility and depression. Women who suffer from fistula are often stigmatized and ostracized by their husbands, families and communities.

Fact 4

About 16 million girls aged between 15 and 19 give birth each year, accounting for more than 10% of all births. In the developing world, about 90% of the births to adolescents occur in marriage. In many countries, the risk of maternal death is twice as high for an adolescent mother as for other pregnant women.

Fact 5

The state of maternal health mirrors the gap between the rich and the poor. Only 1% of maternal deaths occur in high-income countries. A woman's lifetime risk of dying from complications in childbirth or pregnancy is an average of one in 120 in developing countries and compared to one in 44 300 in developed countries. Also, maternal mortality is higher in rural areas and among poorer and less educated communities. Of the 1000 women who die every day, 570 live in sub-Saharan Africa, 300 in South Asia and five in high-income countries.

Fact 6

Most maternal deaths can be prevented through skilled care at childbirth and access to emergency obstetric care. In sub-Saharan Africa, where maternal mortality ratios are the highest, only 46% of women are attended by a trained midwife, nurse or doctor during childbirth.

Fact 7

In developing countries, the percentage of women who have at least four antenatal care visits during pregnancy ranges from 34% for rural women to 67% for urban women. Women who do not receive the necessary check-ups miss the opportunity to detect problems and receive appropriate care and treatment. This also includes immunization and prevention of mother-to-child-transmission of HIV/AIDS.

Fact 8

About 18 million unsafe abortions are carried out in developing countries every year, resulting in 46 000 maternal deaths. Many of these deaths could be prevented if information on family planning and contraceptives were available and put into practice.

Fact 9

One target of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is to reduce the maternal mortality ratio by three quarters between 1990 and 2015. So far, progress has been slow. Since 1990 the global maternal mortality ratio has declined by only 2.3% annually instead of the 5.5% needed to achieve MDG 5, aimed at improving maternal health.

Fact 10

The main obstacle to progress towards better health for mothers is the lack of skilled care. This is aggravated by a global shortage of qualified health workers. By 2015 another 330 000 midwives are needed to achieve universal coverage of mothers with skilled birth attendance.

 It was long, but hey, it was amazing. Right? :)