Pregnancy and childbirth risk 'as great today as 100 years ago'
On 100th International Women's Day organisations call for more to be done for maternal health
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By Darren Estwick. |  |
Monday, 08, Mar 2010 12:01
By Sarah Garrod.
Hundreds of thousands of pregnant women in developing countries are at the same risk today as women in the UK were 100 years ago of dying in childbirth.
The warning has come as the world marks the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, with a coalition of organisations coming together to call for greater investment in women and maternal health.
Groups including Amnesty International, Save the Children, Oxfam, Mumsnet and White Ribbon Alliance have called on world leaders to put women's issues at the forefront of the their policies.
They claim that in 1910, when International Women's Day was first created, 355 women per 100,000 live births died as a direct result of childbirth or pregnancy-related causes in England and Wales. Today the number of maternal deaths stands at around 14 across the UK.
Today the organisations said recent figures show that in developing countries an average of 450 women per 100,000 live births die in childbirth - with this number reaching 570 in Bangladesh.
Amnesty International UK director, Kate Allen said: "It's astounding that the rate of maternal deaths in Chad today stands at three times the rate of maternal deaths in 1910 Britain.
"This should not be allowed to persist.
"The UK's so far shown commitment to providing adequate resources. However, this must be combined with greater political will not only in the UK but globally to ensure that a pregnant woman is not denied her basic right to healthcare. We do not want to wait another 100 years before we see significant progress here."
The group of organisations, activists and celebrity supporters including the Duchess of York, actor Bill Nighy and presenter Davina McCall are calling for "a greater global commitment to protection of the basic rights for mothers and children".
The organisations announced that today marks the official launch of a week-long series of events to highlight the need to improve maternal and child health, with a march taking place on Millennium Bridge led by Women for Women International.
Also, in advance of Mother's Day dozens of campaigners and celebrities will be laying white roses outside parliament to urge the UK to improve their commitment to maternal health.