Safe motherhood in the United Kingdom

The Safe Motherhood Initiative (SMI) is a global effort to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity. The target is to reduce maternal deaths by at least half by the year 2000. The SMI aims to enhance the quality and safety of women's lives through the adoption of a combination of health and non-health strategies. The SMI places special emphasis on the need for better and more widely available maternal health services, the extension of family planning education and services, and effective measures aimed at improving the status of women. Activity within the SMI may take many forms: Increasing awareness of the dimensions of the problem and the need for action. Strengthening maternal health services. Training of health workers and others. Facilitating educational and economic opportunities for women. Research, particularly operational research. Partners within the SMI are governments, agencies, non-governmental organisations and other groups and individuals who stimulate and participate in efforts likely to reduce the number of women suffering and dying as a result of pregnancy and childbearing.