A woman dies in pregnancy or childbirth every minute of every day, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement to mark International Women's Day.
"It is unacceptable that in the year 2002 so many women die in the basic act of giving life," UNICEF director Ms Carol Bellamy said. "We must commit ourselves to addressing this fundamental aspect of the gender gap, keeping prospective mothers healthy and alive".
Ms Bellamy said it was estimated that 515,000 women die every year in pregnancy or childbirth, almost all of them in developing countries. The probability of dying in childbirth in a developed country is one in 4,100, but in a developing nation it is one in 13.
"There has been no significant decline in maternal mortality since the early 1990s, and that is a tragedy," Ms Bellamy said.
"We know how to prevent most of these deaths. Political commitment, and the resources that follow, have just not developed on this issue. We have to see that as part of a broader tableau of discrimination against women. And that must end," she said.
One of the most important factors in preventing deaths is access to emergency obstetric care, but available data indicates that only 55 per cent of births worldwide are assisted by a skilled attendant, Ms Bellamy said.
The UN plans to mark International Women's Day with a ceremony that will be attended by US First Lady Mrs Laura Bush.
There will be a panel discussion on the theme "Afghan Women Today: Realities and Opportunities" at which ex-queen Noor, widow of Jordan's king Hussein, will speak. Other panelists include Ms Thoraya Obaid, director of the United Nations Population Fund.
AFP