Infographic: Slow decline of maternal deaths in SA

With the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 deadline looming, the Community Law Centre (University of the Western Cape) briefed the Health Portfolio Committee last Wednesday, 15 October 2014, on South Africa’s current situation regarding maternal deaths due to pregnancy and childbirth complications. The MDGs were set at the 2000 Millennium Summit to accelerate global progress in development. MDG 5 stated that countries should reduce their Maternal Mortality Ratio by 75% by 2015. MMR is the number of women who die during pregnancy and childbirth per 100 000 live births.

Although most developed countries have seen great progress in reducing their MMRs, developing countries like South Africa are still lagging behind. With less than three months before the deadline, People’s Assembly takes a look at South Africa Maternal Mortality Rate, what the main causes are for the country’s MMR, and whether we are on track to meet the MDG.