[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/HEALTH/conditions/10/14/world.health.report/art.world.health.afp.gi.jpg]
Ann M. Veneman
Special to CNN
Every day in the United States, thousands of women and families experience one of the most joyous occasions in their lifetime - the birth of a child.
That joy is certainly not as often the case in many parts of the world. Women in the least-developed countries are 300 times more likely to die in childbirth or from complications related to pregnancy than women in developed countries.
Half a million women die due to pregnancy or childbirth complications every year.
The lack of the most basic necessities such as a doctor, nurse, clean water, supplies or even a medical facility is robbing precious innocence and devastating families.
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Filed under: Global 360° |
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It seems the harder people try to understand and help.... the further behind we all get.
It makes me wonder about the Sierra Leone stats: with the child mortality rate so high, how does the population continue to survive? Is the population going down in correlation with the death stats?
This is so sad.
This is just horrible. What can American do to help? The birth of a child should be a blessing to a family with little to no concerns. I've never had a child and if I would become pregnant one day, I'm one of the women someone would say would be a high risk pregnancy. It scares me that women still die in childbirth. There should be something someone can do to help to prevent this from ever happening.