Nearly 800 women continue to die every day from complications of pregnancy and childbirth, the United Nations spotlighted, marking the International Day of the Midwife with a call for greater investment to increase the number of midwives and enhance the quality and reach of their services.
Maternal deaths have dropped by nearly 50 per cent, down from an estimated 523,000 in 1990 to some 289,000 at latest count. And according to the UN, midwives who are educated and regulated to international standards can provide 87 per cent of the essential care needed by women and their newborns.
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