To the Editor: The maternal mortality rate (MMR) in South Africa was 400/100 000 births in 20051 and at Johannesburg Hospital was 476/100 000 in 2008. Delay in referral and management during labour in the unit is an important cause of mortality and morbidity.2 Inadequate use of the partogram is a major avoidable factor in maternal deaths in South Africa and has previously been studied at Johann...

BACKGROUND Understanding what determines family size is crucial for programmes that aim to provide family planning services during and after conflicts. Recent research found that development agents in post conflict settings do not necessarily take time to understand the context adequately, translate their context understanding into programming, or adjust programming in the light of changes. Sou...

Why IMNCH Strategy? • In 2000, at the Millennium Summit held in New York, World Leaders pledged to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health among other Goals (Millennium Development Goals) to ensure human development by the year 2015. Since the millennium declaration, Nigeria and many other countries are not on track to attaining the targets for reducing child mortality and improving ...

The death of a woman in pregnancy and childbirth is globally considered an individual tragedy and a human rights violation. Given the inequities in death that occur to marginalized, poor, and vulnerable women in low and middle income countries, there is no doubt that maternal death is a horrific injustice. However, the long term global burden of disease goes far beyond this tragedy. Recent rese...

The Countdown to 2015 for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Survival monitors coverage of priority interventions to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for child mortality and maternal health. We reviewed progress between 1990 and 2010 in coverage of 26 key interventions in 68 Countdown priority countries accounting for more than 90% of maternal and child deaths worldwide. 19 countries s...

Background & aim: Maternal mortality is defined as the death during pregnancy or up to 42 days postpartum. This study sought to determine the trend of maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and its associated factors in Khorasan Razavi province, Iran. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in Khorasan Razavi Province, North East of Iran, during 2010 to 2014. Data was collected ...

“Countries with intermediate levels of mortality should aim to achieve by the year 2005 a maternal mortality rate below 100 per 100,000 live births and by the year 2015 a maternal mortality rate below 60 per 100,000 live births. Countries with the highest levels of mortality should aim to achieve by 2005 a maternal mortality rate below 125 per 100,000 live births and by 2015 a maternal mortalit...