Progress in health?

Conclusions se appalling figures for maternal mortality andmorbidity are to be reduced a major campaign is required, such as the UNICEF campaign1. Key requirements are:o(a) nutrition for girls and young women; to help Prevent the small malformed pelvis, an important cause of orolouged labour, and also to reduce anaemia. planning. To ensure sufficient time between pregnancies for the mother to recover (especially important where there is malnutrition) and where possible to delay bregnancy in young girls until they are fully grown. ortion service to reduce the dangers of unskilledabortions feeding. While this is mainly to improve thechances for the baby, it may also help to delay another pregnancy. ion so that the women and their families can recognize the danger signs early in pregnancy and during labour and seek help. lows from (e) that help should be available when needed and that means a well educated midwife and back up service, with adequate trained staff and suitable usable equipment. surely a disgrace that as we enter the twenty firstcentury women in so many countries are much more likely to as a result of pregnancy than they were in England a hundred years ago. ies with high maternal mortality rates also have large numbers of women who have been so damaged by pregnancy that they are unable to contribute to the economic development of their country. Such a country seems doomed to stay poor and its people to suffer unless these issues are addressed. There is ample evidence that many of the strategies aimed at reducing maternal mortality and promoting the health of women and children will in addition to the obvious humanitarian benefits produce dividends in the economic sphere. e the cost health care should be viewed as a sound investment rather than as a drain on economic resources.