Maternal Health in Developing Countries: Engineering approaches and future outlook

The fact that every 90 seconds, somewhere in the world, a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth is simply unacceptable. What is even more shocking is that most of these deaths are preventable if appropriate care is available. The death of a mother is not only the end of a life; instead, it is most often the beginning of a dark and difficult future for the whole family and the aftershocks affect the community at large. Children, particularly in developing countries, who lose their mothers early on are less likely to be productive members of society, are likely to be malnourished, and face lifelong social and economic challenges.