What will it take to stop maternal deaths?

Abstract

The great conundrum of global health is the apparent resistance of maternal mortality to over two decades of vigorous campaigning and commitment by the safe-motherhood movement. The UN's 2009 report card on Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5—between 1990 and 2015, to reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio—concluded that “little progress” had been made, especially in sub-Saharan Africa where half (265 000) of all maternal deaths take place. 1 UNThe Millennium Development Goals Report 2009. http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/MDG_Report_2009_ENG.pdfDate: 2009 Google Scholar Estimation of potential effects of improved community-based drug provision, to augment health-facility strengthening, on maternal mortality due to post-partum haemorrhage and sepsis in sub-Saharan Africa: an equity-effectiveness modelCommunity provision of misoprostol and antibiotics to reduce maternal deaths from post-partum haemorrhage and sepsis could be a highly effective addition to health-facility strengthening in Africa. Investigation of such interventions is urgently needed to establish the risks, benefits, and challenges of widespread implementation. Full-Text PDF