Reducing maternal mortality: the contribution of the right to the highest attainable standard of health

From the introduction:

“Over half a million women die each year due to complications during pregnancy and birth. The vast majority of these deaths are preventable. At the Millennium Summit in 2000, States resolved to reduce maternal mortality by three quarters by the year 2015. This commitment is encapsulated in the Millennium Development Goals, which derive from the Millennium Summit commitments, and which have come to play a defining role in international development efforts. Goal 5 is a commitment to improve maternal health: the reduction of maternal mortality is an outcome chosen to assess progress in this regard. This resolve by States to reduce maternal mortality is not new. However, never before has the issue been given such prominence on the international development agenda.”