Burkina Faso struggles to reduce maternal mortality

Despite tremendous efforts that have reduced maternal mortality rates in Burkina Faso, thousands of women still die every year from complications arising from pregnancy and childbirth, says a new report by Amnesty International, which maintains that most of the deaths can be prevented.

Amnesty says there are many reasons why women in this impoverished west African country do not receive the health care they need. These include: “lack of information on sexual and reproductive health and rights; women’s low status, which undermines their right to decide whether, when and how many children to have; social and economic barriers, notably the cost of medical …