Motherhood is a natural desire for women world over; a
pregnant woman receives special gentle care in most of
the societies. The UNICEF estimates that global crude
birth rate is 4.3 births every second (as of Dec. 2013
estimate). Pakistan demographic and health survey of
2012-13, carried out by the National Institute of
Population Studies (NIPS) reveals that fertility rate among
women of 25-29 years is 224 births per 1,000.
1 While
motherhood is often a positive and fulfilling experience,
for too many women it is associated with suffering, illhealth
and even death in others. The factsheet of World
Health Organization of the year 2013, reveals that 289,000
women died during one year, due to complications of
child birth. The major causes of maternal morbidity and
mortality include haemorrhage, infection, high blood
pressure, unsafe abortion, and obstructed labour.
According to WHO's report, the risk of a woman in a
developing country, dying from a maternal-related cause
during her lifetime is about 23 times higher compared to
a woman living in a developed country.