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The majority of maternal deaths are due to haemorrhage, infection, unsafe abortion, and eclampsia (very high blood pressure leading to seizures), or from health complications worsened in pregnancy. In all these cases, unavailable, inaccessible, unaffordable, or poor quality care is fundamentally responsible. Maternal deaths are detrimental to social development and wellbeing, as some1 million children are left motherless each year. These children are more likely to die within1-2 years of their mothers' death.
Women need not die in childbirth. We must give a young woman the information and support she needs to address her reproductive health needs, help her through a pregnancy, and care for her and her newborn well into childhood. The vast majority of maternal deaths could be prevented if women had access to quality family planning services; skilled care during pregnancy, childbirth and after delivery; or post-abortion care and where permissible, safe abortion services. Increased attention for women living in conflict situations, or under humanitarian crisis is needed because a working health system with skilled personnel is key to saving these women's lives.
Although the world did not achieve the Millennium Development Goal of reducing maternal mortality by three quarters between and; great strides were made and many countries saw significant improvements in maternal health. Looking beyond, WHO is committed to support accelerated reductions in maternal mortality by, as part of the Sustainable Development Goals agenda. For this to happen, high quality reproductive, maternal and newborn health care must be available, accessible and acceptable to all in need. As part of the Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality Strategy and objectives, WHO and partners support countries to achieve this goal, so that women, girls and adolescents can survive and thrive.
The most common causes are postpartum bleeding, complications from unsafe abortion, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, postpartum infections, and obstructed labour. Other causes include blood clots and pre-existing conditions. Indirect causes are malaria, anaemia, HIV/AIDS, and cardiovascular disease, all of which may complicate pregnancy or be aggravated by it.
Factors that increase maternal death can be direct or indirect. Generally, there is a distinction between a direct maternal death that is the result of a complication of thepregnancy, delivery, or management of the two, and an indirect maternal death.[4] that is a pregnancy-related death in a patient with a preexisting or newly developed health problem unrelated to pregnancy. Fatalities during but unrelated to a pregnancy are termed accidental, incidental, or nonobstetrical maternal deaths.
The most common causes are postpartum bleeding (15%), complications from unsafe abortion (15%), hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (10%), postpartum infections (8%), and obstructed labour (6%).[5] Other causes include blood clots (3%) and pre-existing conditions (28%).[6] Indirect causes are malaria, anaemia,[7] HIV/AIDS, and cardiovascular disease, all of which may complicate pregnancy or be aggravated by it.
Sociodemographic factors such as age, access to resources and income level are significant indicators of maternal outcomes. Young mothers face higher risks of complications and death during pregnancy than older mothers,[8] especially adolescents aged 15 years or younger.[9] Adolescents have higher risks for postpartum hemorrhage, puerperal endometritis, operative vaginal delivery, episiotomy, low birth weight, preterm delivery, and small-for-gestational-age infants, all of which can lead to maternal death.[9] Structural support and family support influences maternal outcomes. Furthermore, social disadvantage and social isolation adversely affects maternal health which can lead to increases in maternal death.[10] Additionally, lack of access to skilled medical care during childbirth, the travel distance to the nearest clinic to receive proper care, number of prior births, barriers to accessing prenatal medical care and poor infrastructure all increase maternal deaths.
Unsafe abortion is another major cause of maternal death. According to the World Health Organization, every eight minutes a woman dies from complications arising from unsafe abortions. Complications include hemorrhage, infection, sepsis and genital trauma [11] Globally, preventable deaths from improperly performed procedures constitute 13% of maternal mortality, and 25% or more in some countries where maternal mortality from other causes is relatively low, making unsafe abortion the leading single cause of maternal mortality worldwide.[12]
The woman do not should die because of pregnancy.
