No woman should die to give birth.  But each year 287,000 women and girls across the world die in pregnancy and childbirth and 99% of these are in developing countries. These deaths are usually from causes which are almost unheard of today in developed countries, for example from heavy bleeding at delivery and complications caused by high blood pressure. Most deaths could be quite easily and cheaply prevented. We estimate it costs just £15 ($24) to save a mother’s life. As little as £2 ($3) can pay for a course of antibiotics to prevent infection following childbirth.

At Maternity Worldwide we work in partnership with local communities to increase access to high quality maternal health care. Our current programmes are mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa where need is the greatest. Here the lifetime risk of dying in pregnancy or childbirth is I in 39 compared with 1 in 3800 in developed countries like the UK and US.

We have a vision of a world in which all women and their babies are able to access safe and appropriate childbirth regardless of where they live. Please share our vision and help us to work towards the day when no woman or girl dies needlessly in childbirth.

Website: www.maternityworldwide.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/maternityww

Twitter: @maternityww

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/maternityworldwide1

E mail: info@maternityworldwide.org