Maternal mortality dropping but still unacceptably high - new estimates

16 May 2012 - WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and The World Bank issue new global, regional and country estimates of maternal mortality. Although between 1990 and 2010, maternal mortality worldwide dropped by 47%, still every day, around 800 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Almost all of these deaths occurr in low-resource settings. The updated estimates use available national data on maternal mortality to characterize levels and trends of maternal mortality for 180 countries. This analysis involves a larger dataset than previous rounds and updates estimates for 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010.

• Trends in maternal mortality: 1990 to 2010

2 May 2012 - Every year 15 million babies are born preterm (more than 1 in 10 live births); more than 1 million die due to preterm complications. Preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn deaths and the second leading cause of death in children under 5, after pneumonia. Two thirds of the more than 1 million babies who die annually as a result of being born too soon could be saved if current cost-effective interventions were made available to all. This first-ever report on preterm birth is a joint effort of almost 50 international, regional and national organizations, and the estimates of preterm birth levels and trends presented reflect the collaborative work of WHO/RHR/HRP, Save the Children, and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

• Born Too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth

Recent reports show some progress has been made in reducing maternal mortality but efforts need to be expanded and intensified to accelerate progress towards reducing the still very wide disparities between developing and developed worlds.

Millennium Development Goal Target 5A aims to reduce the maternal mortality ratio by three quarters between 1990 and 2015.

• Fact sheet on maternal mortality
• Causes of maternal death
• More information on MDG 5

October 2011 - Women who survive life-threatening conditions arising from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth have many common aspects with those who die of such complications. WHO is conducting a large, multicountry study to determine the prevalence of these maternal "near-miss" cases and to evaluate the quality of care in health facilities. The findings of this study will enable a more comprehensive dialogue with policy makers, professional and civil societies, health systems or health services administrators to promote best practices, improve quality of care and achieve better health for mothers and children.

• The WHO multicountry survey