Publication: Maternal and Child Mortality Development Goals : What Can the Transport Sector Do?
Date
2006-08
ISSN
Published
2006-08
Author(s)
Babinard, Julie
Roberts, Peter
Abstract
The reduction of child mortality and the
improvement of maternal health are two of the Millennium
Development Goals. Child and maternal mortalities continue
to represent severe burdens in many developing countries.
Every year, 527,000 women in developing countries die of
pregnancy-related complications and nearly 4 million
children die during their first month (accounting for 40
percent of all deaths under 5 years of age) with nearly all
(98 percent) of them in developing countries. The risks of
dying from pregnancy-related complications and a child dying
under the age of five are highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. The
risk of a mother or an infant dying can be significantly
reduced by a continuum of basic care, which should include
preventive measures and a skilled attendant during
childbirth with access to the necessary equipment, drugs,
and other supplies for effective management of any
pregnancy-related complications. Yet, many women spend
excessive time trying to reach a health facility with the
capacity to treat obstetric or infant complications. It is
estimated that 75 percent of maternal deaths might be
prevented through timely access to essential emergency
childbirth-related care. This paper focuses on the ways in
which transport and road infrastructure play key roles in
the overall delivery of and access to health services, and
in the effectiveness of the health referral process. Many
households do not have the reliable, suitable, and
affordable transport services that are essential for access
to care during the critical peri-natal and neonatal periods.
Emergency access to care is also critical because many
childbirth-related complications are unpredictable and the
majority of births in developing countries continue to take
place at home.
Citation
“Babinard, Julie; Roberts, Peter. 2006. Maternal and Child Mortality Development Goals : What Can the Transport Sector Do?. Transport papers;no.TP-12. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/17413 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”