Around the world in the past year, there has been unprecedented global attention on the issue of maternal mortality—as both a health issue and a human rights issue. 

In many countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of illness and death among women between 15 and 49. Each year, there are more than 500,000 maternal deaths worldwide—almost all of them in developing countries. While a woman in Canada has a 1 in 11,000 chance of dying from complications of pregnancy and childbirth, in Niger pregnancy-related causes will kill one in seven women. Most pregnancy-related deaths could be avoided by a few well-known interventions. 

These high maternal mortality and morbidity rates have a direct impact on newborn and child health. If a woman dies or becomes ill as a result of complications from pregnancy and childbirth, her children are much more likely to leave school, to suffer from poor health, and even die themselves.  

Overall levels of maternal mortality have barely changed over the past 20 years despite various campaigns.  

The 2000 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) include a global promise to reduce maternal mortality by three-quarters by the year 2015. Unfortunately, as noted by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, this is the goal toward which the least progress has been made by governments, so it is unlikely to be met.  

In recent years, the right to survive pregnancy and childbirth has increasingly been recognized as a basic human right. According to human rights experts, avoidable maternal mortality violates women’s right to life, health, equality, and non-discrimination. Several U.N. treaty monitoring bodies have found violations of key human rights treaties where states have failed to take measures to prevent maternal mortality. 

In June, the Human Rights Council adopted a landmark resolution recognizing maternal mortality and morbidity as a pressing human rights concern. With this resolution (led by Colombia and New Zealand), more than 70 UN member states, including Canada, acknowledged that the issue of maternal health must be recognized as a human right challenge and that efforts to curb the unacceptably high global rates of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity must be urgently intensified and broadened. This resolution is the first of its kind at the UN Human Rights Council, and is the first intergovernmental acknowledgement of maternal mortality as a human rights issue. In July, at the meeting of the G8 in Italy, the world’s most powerful political leaders agreed that maternal, newborn and child health was one of the world’s most pressing global health problems. 

It is encouraging that, after years of neglect, governments are increasingly speaking out against this tragedy. 

The question remains: How do we turn these words into actions? 

Toward the G8/G20 in 2010

On June 25–27, 2010, the leaders of the G8 countries will gather in Huntsville for their 36th annual summit. As well, a G20 Summit (co-hosted with South Korea), will take place at the same time. The Muskoka Summit will come at a critical time. The world’s most powerful heads of state will need to address international development as we enter the final period for delivering the eight MDGs.

The summit will follow unprecedented global attention to maternal, newborn and child health. Momentum has never been greater to accelerate progress in this crucial area.

Take action!

Write or visit your government officials responsible for the G8 or G20. Ask them to contact the Canadian government and advocate that maternal newborn and child health be the signature legacy issue of the 2010 G8 and G20 summits.

Download the attached 4-pager for a backgrounder that you can adapt for use in your country.