Shocking number of maternal deaths must be reduced

(June 16,2010) Concern about the shocking number of maternal deaths, estimated to be about 350.000 a year, especially among the poorest and the most marginalised was expressed by a top Vatican official.
Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, Holy See’s Permanent Representative to the UN , in his address on Monday, at a session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, on “Maternal Mortality,” said that the Holy See’s approach to Maternal Mortality is holistic. He said it gives priority to the rights of mothers and child, both those already born and those awaiting birth in the womb of the mother. He reminded them that some 3 million babies die annually during their first week of life, another 3 million are stillborn, and 2.3 million children die each year during their first year of life. The prelate noted that improvements to reduce Maternal Mortality have been possible, due to higher per capita income, higher education rates for women, and increasing availability of basic medical care, including skilled birth attendants.
Archbishop Tomasi said policies aimed at combating Maternal Mortality and Child Mortality need to strike a delicate balance between the rights of the mother and those of the child, both of whom have a right to life. The prelate said the maternity clinics and hospitals promoted by the Catholic Church, try to save the lives of both mother and child. If the international community wishes to effectively reduce the tragic rates of maternal deaths, respect for and promotion of the right to health, must not only be spoken about, but also be put into action, said Archbishop Tomasi.