Providing mother/child care

The aim is to set up an effective primary health care and maternal health care system accessible to all women and children.

Almost half a million maternal deaths occur each year in developing countries. This could be greatly reduced by services to ensure pregnancy-related (prenatal, childbirth and postpartum) care.

There is a direct link between the health and education of women and improvements in the health standards of children in developing countries. The World Development Report 1993 of the World Bank reported that in most households, women manage everyday cleaning chores, prepare meals, feed and care for young children and look after the sick. Therefore, the health of mothers and their ability to utilize available resources have a strong influence on the health of other members of the family.

This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities.