1.1  Maternal and newborn mortality

We begin this study session by describing how many mothers and newborns die as a result of complications of pregnancy or childbirth around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) set Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the year 2000 (1992 in the Ethiopian calendar) to reduce maternal mortality in every country by three-quarters, and the mortality of children under 5 years by two-thirds by the year 2015 (2007 in the Ethiopian calendar). Ethiopia is one of the few countries in the world that is expected to achieve the MDGs for reducing maternal and child deaths. Your role as a health professional is vital in attaining these goals.

All dates in the rest of this Module use the European/US calendar.