The world has achieved an impressive reduction in deaths of women in pregnancy in the last 25 years – but has still fallen well short of its targets, according to a major analysis published yesterday.
The reduction in death rates was 44% – but the target set in the Millennium Development Goals was 75%, according to the United Nations analysis.
Countries that achieved the 75% target included Iran, Cambodia, Rwanda and Mongolia.
The figures were published as UK health secretary Jeremy Hunt was set to reduce plans to tackle neonatal and maternal mortality following a series of high-profile problems in English hospitals.
The UN said that globally education of women was a key factor as was the strengthening of health systems.
The analysis shows that in 1990 some 532,000 women died from pregnancy-related causes – and this year the number of deaths is expected to be 330,000.
Dr Flavia Bustreo, assistant director general of the World Health Organisation, said: “The Millennium Development Goals triggered unprecedented efforts to reduce maternal mortality.
"Over the past 25 years, a woman’s risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes has nearly halved. That’s real progress, although it is not enough.
"We know that we can virtually end these deaths by 2030 and this is what we are committing to work towards.”
Lancet 12 November 2015 [abstract]
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