Maternal Health
Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period.
Each stage should be a positive experience, ensuring women and their babies reach their full potential for health and well-being.
Most maternal deaths are preventable with timely management by a skilled health professional working in a supportive environment.
Ending preventable maternal death must remain at the top of the global agenda. At the same time, simply surviving pregnancy and childbirth can never be the marker of successful maternal health care.
It is critical to expand efforts reducing maternal injury and disability to promote health and well-being.
Every pregnancy and birth is unique. Addressing inequalities that affect health outcomes, especially sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender, is fundamental to ensuring all women have access to respectful and high-quality maternity care.
The most common direct causes of maternal injury and death are the following:
• excessive blood loss
• infection
• high blood pressure
• unsafe abortion
• obstructed labour, as well as indirect causes such as anemia, malaria, and hear
Credit: WHO