title: Maternal mortality in resource-poor settings: policy barriers to care.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, 722 W 168th Street, Rm 1408, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Dileep V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Mavalankar
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosenfield
mesh_terms: D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical / Q000592:standards; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000592:standards / Q000600:supply & distribution; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000592:standards; D011204:Poverty Areas; D011247:Pregnancy