Maternal health ensures no woman dies bringing life into the world.

Global maternal mortality has dropped nearly 40% since 2000, largely because we know what works and have invested accordingly. Still, each year an estimated 4.5 million women and newborns die from preventable complications related to pregnancy and childbirth—that’s roughly one life lost every seven seconds. Who survives pregnancy too often depends on where a woman lives, her income, or her race. When maternal care is delayed or inadequate, preventable conditions like infection, sepsis, and preeclampsia can become life-threatening for both mother and child. With timely, quality care, the vast majority of these deaths could be avoided.