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Maternal Mortality—One Woman a Minute

“In the 21st century, no woman should have to give her life to give life.” —Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General

Somewhere in the world, right now, a woman is dying due to complications of pregnancy or childbirth. It occurs every minute, every day. This shocking fact is one of the great shames of our time.

The world is slowly awakening to the need to act now to prevent needless maternal deaths and injuries. And as momentum builds, the new Maternal Health Task Force brings together existing maternal health networks and engages new organizations to facilitate global coordination of maternal health programs.

Story from the Front Lines, Part 1

By the time her mother and sister brought her through the doors of Sekou Toure Hospital, 25-year-old Mariam Madoshi was semiconscious and bleeding heavily.
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Story from the Front Lines, Part 2

Without access to medical care in the remote Marra Mountains in war-torn Darfur, Halima saw her baby die in childbirth.
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Our View from the Ground

Read a commentary by Ann Blanc, Director of the Maternal Health Task Force, on what this new initiative is doing and how you can join the effort.
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536,000

The number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes every year—a number that has been constant for at least 20 years. 99% of these deaths occur in developing countries.
Source: World Health Organization