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.