Inadequate health care 'still costing lives'

International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Monday, 1st June 2009

Women in the developing world continue to suffer during pregnancy as a result of inaccessible medical care, poverty, and malnutrition, it has been claimed.

Speaking to the News on Sunday, Virginia Blaser, the US embassy ambassador in Mauritius, said at least 80,000 women every year suffer complications during pregnancy including obstetric fistula.

She claimed the consequences of this condition are "life shattering" where treatment is not available, with the child often dying and the mother experiencing lifelong reproductive and urinary complications.

Ms Blasser comments that more than half a million women die in pregnancy or childbirth every year, despite simple, and cost-effective health interventions existing.

Last week, the World Health Organization reported that while child mortality rates have improved since 1990, a similar number of maternal mortalities are being recorded around the world.

United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon expressed his "outrage" at the lack of progress made during the last two decades