Contemporary issues in maternal health care in Africa

the long version

It is well known that nearly 500,000 women die annually from complications of pregnancy and childbirth, and that 90 percent of these deaths occur in developing countries. It is also known that most of the deaths occur in Africa, especially sub-Saharan Africa. Urgent action is called for if this situation is to be controlled. This book looks at the problem from an organizational perspective, taking selected clinical problems and examining options for tackling them. It recognizes that technology transfer alone will not be enough to improve the health of women unless careful thought is given to the delivery of health care. The book should be of interest to health planners, clinicians, medical/nursing students and postgraduate students in obstetrics and community health, as well as government and non-governmental agencies involved in the delivery of maternal health services.