Our Work in Maternal And Reproductive Health
Every day, approximately 800 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy or childbirth. Ninety-four percent of these deaths occur in low and lower middle-income countries where women and girls are unable to access adequate health services. Improved care around time of birth and after birth can significantly save the lives of women and newborns. Getting pregnant too young or too soon is a key risk factor for complications in pregnancy and childbirth.
Promoting the use of contraception is essential to reducing maternal and newborn deaths, and improving the livelihoods of women and their families by allowing women to space births and girls to avoid pregnancy and stay in school. Overall, an estimated 218 million women and girls in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have an unmet need for family planning, resulting in about 111 million unintended pregnancies every year.
Increasing access to modern contraception and quality maternal care, creating supportive health care systems and policies, and building supportive community environments for safer pregnancies could prevent 1 in 3 maternal deaths and 1 in 5 child deaths. Our maternal and reproductive health (MRH) programs aim to reduce these deaths and improve the health of women, adolescents and newborns to contribute to long-term benefits for their families and communities.