Losing blood and saving lives : recognising the problems and impacts

Maternal and infant morbidity and mortality is a global health con- cern that contributes to the long-term burden of disease to a given na- tion. In 2013, it was estimated that 1500 women died from pregnancy or childbirth-related complications each day. However, there was a notable reduction from 380 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 210 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2013 ( WHO, 2014a ). Un- fortunately, large maternal and infant morbidity and mortality dispar- ities still exist between high- and low-income countries ( UNICEF PNG, 2013 ).