Reducing financial barriers to obstetric care in low-income countries: the need for action

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 536,000 women die in 2005 from pregnancy-related causes, and almost all of these deaths occur in developing countries (WHO 2007). In Niger, the lifetime risk of death is estimated at one in seven (WHO 2007). Maternal causes are responsible for 18% of deaths in women in less developed countries (World Bank 1993). 75% of these are estimated to be preventable with a basic package of maternity care delivered by the primary health care system (health centres and hospital). However, so far, relatively little progress has been made. A recent study of trends in MMR from 1990 to 2005 found a significant decrease of 2.5% per year globally, but with no significant decrease in subSaharan Africa, which fell by 1.8% from 921 per 100,000 in 1990 to 905 per 100,000 in 2005 (Hill et al. 2007).