In our world today:

• 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.