UN launches initiative to save lives of pregnant women

The United Nations has unveiled a global initiative based on government, civil society and private sector cooperation with the aim of saving the lives of up to one million women during pregnancy and childbirth.

A US$20 billion funding gap in maternal and child health in the world's least developed countries means that between 350,000 and 500,000 women die each year from preventable pregnancy-related causes and complications, and another 15 million suffer from equally preventable long-term disabilities.

The new Joint Action Plan for Women's and Children's Health calls on countries to push the health of women and girls to the front of the queue and create an overarching framework for integrated health systems, according to IRIN.