IN CELEBRATION OF WOMEN’S DAY TODAY:
Maternal Death: The Avoidable Crisis

Every year, hundreds of thousands of women around the world die avoidable deaths during childbirth, for lack of skilled birth attendants and basic medications, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders said in a report released today, in advance of International Women’s Day on March 8.

The report Maternal Death: The Avoidable Crisis details how the provision of emergency obstetric care to pregnant women in acute and chronic humanitarian crises can have a direct impact and save women’s lives. It examines the circumstances for pregnant women in 12 countries where MSF works, in settings ranging from conflict areas to countries with weak health systems, including Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan, and Haiti. The report highlights the need for emergency medical assistance, particularly when pregnancy complications occur.

Photo: Haiti 2012 © Frederik Matte/MSF A woman holds her newborn at an MSF facility in Haiti.