WHO Viet Nam
Maternal mortality is unacceptably high. Every day, about 800 women die from pregnancy – or childbirth-related complications – around the world. Almost all of these deaths occurred in low-resource settings, and most could have been prevented. The high number of maternal deaths reflects inequities in access to health services, and highlights the gap between rich and poor.
Improving maternal health is one of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) adopted by the international community in 2000. Under MDG5, countries committed to reducing maternal mortality by three quarters between 1990 and 2015. Since 1990, maternal deaths worldwide have dropped by 47%.
