Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Maternal Deaths Drop By Nearly Half Worldwide Over 20 Years; Greater Progress Still Needed, U.N. Reports
"The number of women dying of pregnancy- and childbirth-related complications has almost halved in 20 years, according to new estimates released [on Wednesday] by the United Nations, which stressed that greater progress is still needed in significantly reducing maternal deaths," the U.N. News Centre reports (5/16). "The report, 'Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2010,' shows that from 1990 to 2010, the annual number of maternal deaths dropped from more than 543,000 to 287,000 -- a decline of 47 percent," a UNFPA press release states (5/16). However, "[w]hile substantial progress has been achieved in almost all regions, many countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, will fail to reach the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of reducing maternal death by 75 percent through 2015," Inter Press Service writes (Deen, 5/16). "Countries in Eastern Asia have made [the] most progress on improving the health of expectant and new mothers, said the report," Agence France-Presse adds (5/16).
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