Carnegie Corporation, an Early Advocate of Women’s Health, Acknowledges Sharp Drop in Maternal Deaths Worldwide

The number of women dying each year from pregnancy and childbirth worldwide has dropped dramatically, according to a report published in The Lancet, a British medical journal.  The journal’s paper, published on April 11, found that the number of women who die in pregnancy or childbirth has dropped by more than 35 percent over 28 years.

It was a surprising finding for experts who have long assumed that little progress has been made in maternal health. 

Through the 1980s and 90s, Carnegie Corporation of New York was one the largest private supporters of efforts to improve the health of women during pregnancy and childbirth.  The foundation’s Prevention of Maternal Mortality program supported a network of research teams in Africa committed to undertaking various aspects of maternal health in the context of primary health care, incorporating family planning, child care and other basic health services.

To learn more about the Prevention of Maternal Mortality program read an article from the International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics or In Her Lifetime. Female Mobidity and Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa.