Success factors for women's and children's health

Overview

There have been substantial achievements towards MDGs 4 and 5 (to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health) from 1990 (the baseline for the MDGs) to date. Child and maternal deaths both decreased globally by around 50%, and contraceptive prevalence increased from 55% to 63%. There is consensus on evidence-based, cost-effective investments and interventions and on enabling health and multisectoral policies.

Despite these advances, every year 6.6 million children under five years of age die (44% as newborns) and 289 000 maternal deaths occur, all from mainly preventable causes. Progress varies widely across countries, even where levels of income are similar. There is a need for evidence on why some low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) do better than others in preventing maternal and child deaths, and on the strategies they use to accelerate progress.8 Understanding what works in accelerating progress to reduce maternal and child mortality is important to support countries achieving the MDGs and to inform post-2015 strategies.