[How to reduce maternal mortality?]

Maternal mortality is still very high in developing countries. A large proportion of maternal deaths are due to delayed or substandard emergency obstetric care. There is an urgent need to develop and validate interventions designed to improve the management of obstetric complications. There is some experimental or quasi-experimental evidence supporting interventions that reduce delays in the treatment of obstetric emergencies in resource-poor settings. Most are community-based interventions that provide funds for transport and public education, or that improve the referral system and medical practices at the different levels of care. The most effective measures are facility-based review's of maternal deaths and near-misses, and referral interventions. More research is needed to understand precisely how these interventions improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.