Why Improving The Measurement And Monitoring Of Essential Maternal And Newborn Health Interventions Matters

Abstract

The goal of ending preventable maternal and newborn mortality is achievable. Many maternal and newborn deaths can be averted through family planning services, and the timely provision of high quality care throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period. Yet, progress in increasing universal access to these life-saving interventions has been uneven and slower than we hoped. There are still approximately 2.5 million newborn deaths and 300 000 maternal deaths per year, most occurring in countries with the highest resource constraints and weakest health care infrastructures [1,2].