Maternal Health

The G8 Summit

The leaders of the G8 countries met in Canada in June 2010, and maternal health was tabled as a top priority for the Summit. Commitments were made to help fund the health of pregnant women, new mothers and infants, and CARE Canada and many other organizations will be pushing hard to make sure the leaders back up their words with concrete action. You can also take action by becoming an Agent of Change and partnering with women and girls everywhere!

Latest news from the G8/G20 Summit.

Maternal Health

Every year, hundreds of thousands of women die needlessly from complications during pregnancy and childbirth; 99 percent of these women live in the developing world. These deaths are a tragic loss of human life, and they carry devastating consequences for families, communities and societies.

It is the poorest women who face the greatest risk; and their already poor families who suffer the most with the loss of a caregiver, a breadwinner, a community member… a mother.

Some facts about maternal health:

• In some countries, one in seven women dies in pregnancy or childbirth.
• In many countries where CARE works, a girl is more likely to die during pregnancy than attend school.
• Nine out of 10 women in sub-Saharan Africa will lose a child during their lifetime.
• Over three quarters of maternal and infant deaths could be prevented if women everywhere had access to proper maternal health information and services.
• In the 75 countries where 95 percent of maternal and child deaths occur, we could provide the necessary health services to save those lives for a cost of less than $1.50 per person
• It is estimated the annual global economic cost of maternal and newborn mortality is over $15 billion due to diminished productivity.
• CARE aims to make pregnancy and delivery safer for 30 million women in Africa, Asia and Latin America by 2015. Learn more.

New reports suggest that global maternal deaths are declining. And while the news is encouraging, the truth is that the number of women who will die this year in pregnancy or childbirth – whether that be 350,000, 450,000 or 550,000 – is far too high.

“For us, in all Peru, and all over the world, the mother is the pillar of the home; she is the trunk of the family tree. If a woman dies, the children don’t know where to go. If the mother lives, she’ll keep her children together. The family will stay together. That’s why we focus on saving the mother’s life.”
– Bacilia Vivanco, Midwife, Ayacucho Regional Hospital, Peru

Get involved in Maternal Health by engaging in the G8 Summit in Canada this year!