For more than half a million women each year, pregnancy and childbirth end in death. Twenty times as many women suffer serious injuries or disabilities, which, if untreated, can cause lifelong pain and humiliation. A mother's death can be particularly devastating to the children left behind, who are more apt to fall into poverty and to become the objects of exploitation. Countries with already low levels of maternal mortality have made further progress. But this is not enough. Reductions in the worst-affected countries will require additional resources to ensure that the majority of births are attended by doctors, nurses or midwives who are able to prevent, detect and manage obstetric complications. Universal access to reproductive health care, including family planning, is the starting point for maternal health.

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