According to WHO estimates, more than 1,500 women die from pregnancy or childbirth-related complications every day. Annually, about half a million maternal deaths occur worldwide, and most of these deaths are in developing countries. Globally, there is not much improvement in the maternal mortality ratio (MMR, the proportion of women dying due to complications of pregnancy or childbirth), primarily because of the high maternal deaths in less developed countries. The maternal mortality ratio is less than 10 per 100,000 live births in Western countries and above 1,000 per 100,000 live births in very poor countries. As the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey reports showed, the maternal mortality ratio was 871 per 100,000 live births in 2000 and 673 per 100,000 live births in 2005 (European calendar). In short, a woman's lifetime risk of maternal death is 1 in 7,300 in developed countries, versus 1 in 75 in less developed countries.So based on the above facts, the WHO (World Health Organization) set a goal in 1992 (2000e.c.) which is to be achieved in 2015 (2007 in the Ethiopian calendar).

In the previous session 1 of ANC module you have learned about the MDG. This will help you remember what you have learned there.