Maternal Health
The Maternal Health Unit (MAH) provides leadership for improving maternal and perinatal health and well-being and ending preventable maternal mortality. MAH generates programmatic-focused evidence, develops guidelines, norms and standards, and supports regions and countries in adaptation, implementation and monitoring of person-centered quality and respectful maternal and perinatal care through advocacy, partnerships, policy dialogue and capacity building.
About us

Maternal morbidity and well-being

Overview

It is estimated that 810 women died every day in 2017 due to complications of pregnancy and childbirth.  However, maternal deaths are just the “tip of the iceberg”, as many more women suffer from morbidity and disability following childbirth, which greatly impacts their overall health and well-being.1 The true extent of maternal morbidity is unknown, but it has been suggested that for each maternal death, 20 or 30 women suffer from maternal morbidity.2,3 WHO has defined maternal morbidity as “any health condition attributed to and/or complicating pregnancy, and childbirth that has a negative impact on the woman’s well-being and/or functioning”.3 There are ongoing efforts to develop and validate tools to measure maternal morbidity.

 

 

The Maternal Health Unit is developing intervention packages for addressing and improving maternal wellbeing, linking with the child and adolescent health wellbeing framework. This wellbeing framework includes good health, adequate nutrition, opportunities for learning and education, security, safety and a supportive environment, responsive relationships and connectedness, and realization of personal autonomy and resilience. These domains are also applicable to maternal health.