Maternal death-rate worldwide still high, says Commons report

A Commons report has revealed that up to one million pregnant women die each year worldwide, often from avoidable causes.

The study, conducted for the Commons international development committee, warned that there were problems estimating the true amount of deaths due to a tendency to under-report in areas such as sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

The research added that there had been little progress made in reducing the number of maternal deaths in the last 20 years, adding that it was unlikely that the millennium development goal of cutting maternal deaths by 2015 by 75 per cent would be met.

"It has also been estimated that for each woman who dies, 30 further women will become disabled, injured or ill owing to pregnancy, so it is reasonable to assume that millions of women suffer in some way due to childbirth," said Malcolm Bruce, chairman of the committee.

He added that data suggested that there had been 536,000 deaths in 2005. However, the true amount could be nearer 872,000.

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