Addis Abeba — The Ministry of Health, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Save the Children, UNICEF, WHO and other partners called on donors, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and citizens across Ethiopia to "deliverthe promise - for safe pregnancy, child birth and post natal care".

The consortium marched in Addis on Thursday, June 5 to kick off the first-ever celebration of safe motherhood that was held on Friday, June 6, according to a press statement from the US embassy in Addis Ababa.

In Ethiopia, 26,000 women die annually of complications in pregnancy where the majority of deaths occur at home, the statement said.

According to the Countdown to 2015; tracking progress in maternal, newborn and child survival 2008 Report, the number one cause of maternal death in Ethiopia is hemorrhage, said the statement adding, only 12 percent of women have 4 or more antenatal visits while only 5 percent of babies receive postnatal care.

Less than half of the mothers are breastfeeding exclusively (without adding other foods) for the recommended for six months.

Almost all births in Ethiopia take place at home (94 percent), one child in eight dies before reaching age five, and most mothers and children who need care live too far from a road, let alone a health facility, the statement said citing Save the Children's recent State of the World's Mothers Report.

"The good news is that Ethiopia has made remarkable progress in improving health care for children and has cut its under-five mortality rate by 40% since 1990," USAID Mission Director, Glenn Anders was quoted as saying in the statement.

He said much of this success is due to the September 2005 Government of Ethiopia launch of the health extension worker program - focused on building health centers, and promoting linkages from households to health centers by employing 30,000 health extension workers by 2010,"he added.

"The U.S. Agency for International Development is happy to be a partner in these activities to improve the promise of safe delivery to the women of Ethiopia," Glen Anders Added.

Currently 24,000 of the 30,000 Health Extension Workers are deployed, the statement said citing Dr. Shiferaw, the State Minister of Health.