title: Maternal mortality. A global perspective.
abstract: Despite difficulty in collecting data and prevailing underreporting and misclassification, data collection by the World Health Organization shows that more than half a million maternal deaths occur globally every year; 99% occur in developing countries and 1% occur in industrialized ones. The maternal mortality rate is highest in sub-Saharan African countries, followed by South Asian countries. Compelling evidence suggests that a reduction in maternal mortality on a short-term basis is possible only by providing modern obstetric care to the 15% of pregnancies that develop complications and making such care available in time. For long-term reduction and prevention of maternal death, preventive measures should be started before conception and should be continued during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Ghosh
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology