§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the main causes of maternal mortality in developing countries. [93862]
§ Clare Short99 per cent. of the 510,000 maternal deaths and most of the widespread disability caused by complications in childbirth worldwide are in developing countries. Up to 80 per cent. of these deaths result from five relatively common obstetric complications: haemorrhage, infection, complications of abortion, eclampsia and obstructed labour. Almost all of these deaths could be avoided by timely, effective interventions by skilled attendants at delivery, backed up by a functioning referral system and access to emergency obstetric care. This requires effective care and functioning health systems. To this end my Department have committed over £1 billion since 1997 969W to health systems strengthening. We are also working to improve access to quality reproductive and sexual health services in order to avoid unwanted pregnancies.