More than 500,000 women die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth every year.
99% of maternal deaths from childbirth occur in the developing world.
Pregnancy is the leading cause of death for girls age 15 – 19 in developing countries.
To reach Goal 5, governments need to expand reproductive health care services. In developing countries, only about ½ of deliveries are attended by professional health staff. It is important to ensure that a doctor or midwife be present at every delivery. We must reduce by 75% the number of women who die in childbirth.
The Clock is Ticking
We are now at the midpoint between the adoption of the 8 United Nations MDGs and the 2015 target
date for their fulfillment. They define the primary issues of our generation and we must alter
their course now or many may become irreversible.
