The Eastern African Sub-regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI)

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), maternal mortality is the global leading cause of death among women and girls of reproductive age. More than 1500 women and girls die every day from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth; that translates to around 550,000 annually.

These are some of the Global Maternal Mortality Facts…

Over 536,000 women die during pregnancy or childbirth every year. That translates to about one death each minute.

For every woman who dies, another 30 suffer long-lasting illness or injury.

99% of maternal deaths occur in developing nations, particularly in Africa and South Asia.

More than 1 million children are left motherless every year due to maternal deaths.

Children are 3 to 10 times more likely to die within two years of a maternal death.

Globally, the maternal mortality ratio (number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births) has declined at an average of less than 1% per year. 

In Ireland, a woman's lifetime risk of maternal death is 1 in 48,000. In Niger, it is 1 in 7.

Girls under 15 are five times more likely to die during childbirth than are women in their 20s.

Only 57% of women in developing countries give birth with a skilled medical professional present.

In sub-Saharan Africa, only 40% of women give birth with a trained professional present.

Almost 14 million girls between the ages of 15 and 19 give birth every year, accounting for nearly 10% of all childbirths.

About 18 million unsafe abortions are carried out in developing countries every year, resulting in almost 70,000 maternal deaths.

By 2015, another 330,000 midwives are needed to achieve universal reproductive health coverage for expecting mothers.

There is not a single human rights mechanism with a focus on the immense problem of maternal deaths. 

Most UN treaty monitoring bodies have addressed specific interventions to prevent maternal death, including skilled attendance at birth and access to emergency obstetric care.

In June 2009, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a landmark resolution on maternal mortality.

It is estimated that almost three-quarters of maternal deaths can be eliminated by increasing women's access to comprehensive reproductive health services, within the larger context of promoting human rights and reducing poverty.