Maternal health in China

Every mother and newborn child has the right to a positive and safe birthing experience.  The advance of maternal health care has greatly reduced mortality rates across the globe; however, there are still many women who die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, particularly in rural areas and among poorer communities. Causes of death due to haemorrhage, infection, high blood pressure, unsafe abortion and obstructed labour can be prevented and treated with adequate and skilled health care that focuses on the health of the mother during pregnancy, labour and in the postpartum period.

China has made significant improvements in maternal and child health since the 1990’s, meeting the Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals in the reduction of the number of maternal deaths ahead of schedule, yet the challenge remains to reduce the rates even further. Public health reform in China is focused on providing programmes to increase accessibility for rural women to receive antenatal care and to give birth in hospitals or with skilled birth attendants, with a focus on strengthening overall maternal health care.