Abstract:
The Safe Motherhood Initiative, launched in 1987, has greatly increased the attention given to
the problem of maternal morbidity and has helped to improve care for pregnant women. At the
same time, child survival programs have helped reduce overall infant mortality, including
mortality during the newborn period. Despite these efforts, however, maternal and newborn
mortality and morbidity, and stillbirth rates have remained high. Maternal and newborn
morbidity and mortality in Africa remains at an unacceptably tragic level. A woman in Africa
has a 1 in 16 risk of dying due to complications of pregnancy, childbirth, or the postpartum.
Globally, it is estimated that 34 out of every 1000 newborns will die before it reaches one month
of life.
