Most Deaths Are Preventable

There are five main reasons why women die in pregnancy, these are bleeding, infection, high blood pressure which can lead to fitting, unsafe abortion, and obstructed labour. Most of these problems can often be prevented or treated by simple, affordable actions, even in the poorest countries. We can all help to change this; Women should not be dying in childbirth.

More than 70% of Women that die, die from one of the five complications – For more information on each of these causes please see the separate fact sheets:

1. Excessive bleeding
2. Obstructed labour, this is when the baby cannot pass through the birth canal. It is most common in young girls whose bodies are not yet mature, and women who are underdeveloped because they are malnourished.
3. Unsafe abortion, this is normally performed by an unqualified person, in an unclean environment.
4. Infection.
5. High blood pressure, which can lead to women fitting before, during, or after birth.

Besides these causes, there are also other reasons why Women die. Women often cannot access care, cannot afford to pay for care, or good quality care is simply not available.

Most of the reasons why women die can be prevented through simple, affordable measures. By empowering Women, and assuring access to quality healthcare, such as access to family planning, skilled care at birth, and emergency labour care, we can prevent the needless loss of 500,000 Women every year.

We are not powerless to change this, we can prevent most of these deaths. Women need not die in childbirth. One preventable death is unacceptable, but half a million each year is catastrophic