UNICEF SOWC: Reducing maternal mortality thru education

NEW YORK, USA, 15 January 2009 UNICEFs flagship publication, The State of the Worlds Children 2009 launched today in South Africa addresses maternal mortality, one of the most intractable problems for development work.

Having a child remains one of the biggest health risks for women worldwide. Fifteen hundred women die every day while giving birth. Thats a half a million mothers every year.

High maternal mortality rates are found disproportionately in African and Asian countries, particularly in post-conflict conditions. There is also a close correlation between maternal deaths and societies with high fertility rates.

In the very countries where women are expected to have many children, they face disproportionate risks during pregnancy, according to UNICEF Gender Specialist Noreen Khan.

Im shocked sometimes. I cannot see why there is such a contradiction, she says. You place so much importance to my being a mother and at the same time you are not attaching importance to my health in terms of allocating resources, or even attention.

To read the full story, visit: http://www.unicef.org/sowc/index_47139.html

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