Among the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) is the reduction of maternal mortality ratios by three-quarters and under-five mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015.  This stems from the fact that pregnancy and childbirth are the leading causes of death, disease and disability among women of reproductive age in developing countries. 

At least 40% of women experience complications during pregnancy, childbirth, or after childbirth, and about 15% develop potentially life-threatening problems.  In fact, more than 1/3 of the global burden of disease for women aged 15-44 and over 1/5 for women aged 45-69 is caused by conditions that affect women.  The first month of life or the newborn period, is just as critical since it sets the quality of life of the individual.  The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that every year more than 8 million infants die before their first birthday, while more than half survives for leass than a month.

The social and economic cost of women's disabilities and deaths is enormous: at least 30-40% of infant deaths is the result of the mother's poor health and poor care during pregnancy and childbirth.  Poor maternal health and nutrition contribute to low birth weight of about 20% of babies, who are at greater risk of infection, malnutrition, long term disabilities including visual and hearing impairments, learning disabilities and mental retardation, and death.  Motherless children are 3-10 times more likely to die within 2 years, or get less health care and education as they grow up.  At least 60% of pregnant women in developing countries are anemic, which reduces their energy, and can depresstheir incomes.  When women cannot work because of health problems, the loss of their income and the costs of their treatment can decrease family welfare or drive their families to debt (www.safemotherhood.org [1]).