02 Maternal health.pmd

Too many mothers in the world are dying or suffering from the effects of ill-health, poor nutrition and inadequate health care. Each year more than half a million mothers die in childbirth and around 4 million babies do not survive past the first 4 weeks of life [1]. A significant proportion of these deaths take place in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) of the World Health Organization. In fact, in several countries of the Region, pregnancy and childbirth are one of the leading causes of death for women of reproductive age. The latest estimates show that in terms of the levels of maternal mortality, EMR falls directly below the African Region. Every year in the Region, approximately 53 000 mothers die as a result of pregnancy-related complications [2]. Many more become ill or are left disabled. Yet, the fate of these women is often not fully recognized. Maternal health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region