This document complements FIGO’s Statement – Childbirth: A Bill of Rights – by providing a model for safe childbirth. Together with the bill of rights, it will help to power Sustainable Development Goals 3.1 and 3.2, which aim to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births and end preventable deaths of children and newborns by 2030.
More than 800 women die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth every day, and for every woman who dies another 20 suffer serious injuries, infections or disabilities. Improving the health of women before and between pregnancies – as well as through access to contraception and safe abortion – will improve maternal health outcomes. When we invest in the health and wellbeing of women, we invest in our future.