Maternal mortality in 2000
Estimates developed by WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA
The document opens by summarizing the complexity involved in measuring maternal mortality and the reasons why such measurement is difficult to obtain. Subsequently, the rationale for the development of 2000 estimates of maternal mortality is presented along with a description of the process through which this was accomplished. This is followed by an analysis and interpretation of the results, comparing them to the 1995 estimates developed by WHO and UNICEF and describing some of the difficulties that such comparisons involve. The final part of the document answers the questions: What can the 2000 estimates be used for? What should they not be used for? and Why can the 2000 estimates not be used to estimate trends?