Progress in ending Maternal Mortality Rates globally.
The global rate of maternal deaths since 1990 has dropped significantly. However, with the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) expiring this year, only 16 countries are on track to achieve MDG 5: to reduce the maternal mortality rate (MMR) by 75%. Reduction rates in developing countries have also slowed, while rates in the developed world are rising. Such uneven progress in maternal health suggests that the current models for public health provision are inadequate.
The economies of countries with high MMR are disrupted by the significant loss of productive young women.
The loss of the mother stilts the development of surviving children, perpetuating cycles of poverty.
Health systems that fail to provide maternity care will also be profoundly crippled in their capacity to serve the wider population.
