Every day, more than 1, 000 women die from problems related to bearing children. The six prime health messages of this chapter can help to save the majority of those lives and to prevent many serious illnesses.
But to make full use of this knowledge, women need the support of their husbands, their communities, and their governments. Governments have a particular responsibility to train people to assist at childbirth, to make available routine prenatal services, and to provide special care for women who have serious problems during pregnancy and childbirth.