NEW DELHI, INDIA, May 16, 2008: According to a global survey that looked at where mothers fare best and where they face the greatest hardships, India is ranked a dismal 66th among 71 “less developed countries” — only slightly better than countries like Swaziland, Papua New Guinea and Nigeria. While China occupies 15th position, Pakistan (69) is among the only five countries in that list which are worse off than India. Bangladesh ranks 13th in a separate list that looks at maternal care in 34 “least developed countries” while Nepal is 11th. The State of the World’s Mothers report 2008, brought out by American humanitarian organization, Save the Children, says that in India, one in 70 women face a lifetime risk of dying during childbirth. In comparison, it is one in 1,300 women in China and one in 74 women in Pakistan.
It also brings to light numerous studies that have shown the inextricable link between the well being of mothers and that of their children. “When mothers are poor, uneducated and unable to access healthcare, the risks to themselves and their children multiply. Poor women often do not get adequate care during pregnancy and childbirth. Women who become pregnant in developing countries face a risk of maternal death 6-600 times higher (than) that (of) women in developed countries.”