Maternal mortality in resource-poor settings: policy barriers to care
Mavalankar, D.V.; Rosenfield, A.
American Journal of Public Health 95(2): 200-203
2005
ISSN/ISBN: 0090-0036 PMID: 15671450 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2003.036715Document Number: 239415
Maternal mortality remains one of the most daunting public health problems in resource-poor settings, and reductions in maternal mortality have been identified as a prominent component of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. The World Health Organization estimates that 515000 women die each year from pregnancy-related causes, and almost all of these deaths occur in developing countries. Evidence has shown that access to and utilization of high-quality emergency obstetric care (EmOC) is central to efforts aimed at reducing maternal mortality. We analyzed health care policies that restrict access to life-saving EmOC in most resource-poor settings, focusing on examples from rural India, a country of more than 1 billion people that contributes approximately 20% to 24% of the world's maternal deaths.