As the World health Organisation (WHO) releases its latest report on maternal mortality, IBTimesUK looks at some of the counties with the highest rates of deaths.
Sierra LeoneOf the 40 countries with the highest MMR in 2013, Sierra Leone is estimated to have the highest, with an MMR of 1,100 deaths per 100,000 live births.Many initiatives are being carried out in the country in order to reduce the risk of maternal death."The issue of babies and maternal health should no longer just be a government issue; it should be of community interest," obstetrician Mohamed Yilla, who runs MamaYe Sierra Leone, a programme aimed at improving maternal and new-born survival, told the Guardian. "The community can bring about the sustainable health system and maintain it."As the World health Organisation (WHO) releases its latest report on maternal mortality, IBTimesUK took a look at some of the countries with the highest rates of deaths.There were an estimated 289,000 global maternal deaths in 2013. Sub-Saharan Africa, which accounted alone for 62% (179,000) of the deaths, is still the riskiest region in the world for dying of complications in pregnancy and childbirth.The maternal mortality rate (MMR) was calculated by taking into consideration the deaths of women while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management.