Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period.
Every step should be a positive experience, ensuring that women and their babies reach their full potential for health and well-being.
Although significant progress has been made over the past two decades, approximately 287,000 women died during and after pregnancy and childbirth in 2020. This figure is unacceptably high.
The most common direct causes of maternal injury and death are excessive blood loss, infections, high blood pressure, unsafe abortion, and obstructed labor, as well as indirect causes such as anemia, malaria, and disease. cardiac.
Most maternal deaths can be prevented with prompt treatment by a qualified health professional working in a supportive environment.
Ending preventable maternal deaths must remain a global priority. At the same time, simply surviving pregnancy and childbirth can never be a guarantee of effective maternal health care. It is essential to intensify efforts to reduce maternal trauma and disability to promote health and well-being.
Each pregnancy and each birth is unique. Addressing inequalities that affect health outcomes, particularly sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender, is fundamental to ensuring that all women have access to respectful, high-quality maternity care.
