Reducing maternal mortality in the developing world: sector-wide approaches may be the key

doi:10.1136/bmj.322.7291.917

BMJ 2001;322:917-920 ( 14 April )

Education and debate

Reducing maternal mortality in the developing world: sector-wide approaches may be the key

Elizabeth Goodburn, reproductive health adviser ^a, Oona Campbell, head, maternal health programme ^b.

^a Centre for Sexual and Reproductive Health, John Snow International (UK), London NW5 1TL, ^b Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1B 3DP

Correspondence to: E Goodburn egoodburn@jsiuk.com

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Reducing "the rate of maternal mortality by 75% by 2015" is one of the development targets that has been endorsed at numerousinternational meetings.¹ This target was selected because maternalill health is the largest contributor to the disease burden affectingwomen in developing countries; because the lifetime risk of maternaldeath is much greater in the poorest countries than in the richest(1 in 12 for women in east Africa compared with 1 in 4000 in northernEurope); and because interventions are cost effective (costing£2 ($3) per woman and £153 ($230) per death averted).^2-5

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Preventing maternal deaths: what works?

The technical interventions needed to prevent maternal deaths are well understood.⁶ Traditional maternal and child healthinterventions, such as providing antenatal care and training traditionalbirth attendants, have failed. ² ⁷ The availability, accessibility,use, and quality of essential obstetric care for life threateningconditions, including complications after abortion, need to beimproved (box). ² ⁶ ⁷ What is less clear is how . . . [Full text of this article]

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