Household-to-hospital continuum of maternal and newborn care.

Health professionals who work to improve health care in developing countries generally acknowledge that addressing the multiple causes of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity must be a top priority but little progress has been made toward achieving this objective over the past 20 years. For millions of women who lack access to skilled care during pregnancy childbirth and their babies first month of life the special joy that mothers and their families feel at childbirth is often overshadowed by the life-threatening risks both mother and child face. Too often the miracle of new life is transformed into a painful struggle for survival. At least 529000 women die every year as a result of pregnancy and childbirth nearly all in developing countries. For every woman who dies from a pregnancy-related complication 30 women suffer disability. Newborn mortality is even greater: Over four million infants die every year within the first 28 days of life again mostly in developing countries. Three-quarters of these deaths occur within the first week of life and 25-45 percent occur within the first 24 hours after birth. This immense loss of life is needles and unacceptable: A high percentage of maternal and newborn deaths could be prevented by providing pregnant women with access to skilled caregivers and a number of proven effective and timely interventions for both mothers and newborns. (excerpt)