Spotlight on Maternal Health

A woman in the UK has a 1 in 8,200 chance of dying whilst pregnant or giving birth.

In some parts of Africa, it’s 1 woman in 8. That's one woman dying every minute.

Each year, more than 500,000 women die in childbirth or from complications during pregnancy. About half of them live in Sub-Saharan Africa. In some regions, these numbers are tragically going up.

A lack of decent health care, poverty and deprivation cause women to die during pregnancy and childbirth every day across Africa. In fact, 57% of births in Sub-Saharan Africa take place without any help from a skilled nurse, midwife or doctor.

Of course, it's not just the mums who are affected. Every year, more than 1 million children are left without a mother, and children who have lost their mum are up to 10 times more likely to die young than those whose mothers are still alive.

As shocking as these statistics are, the good news is that you can help to change them. Your cash can help to save pregnant women and improve their chances of survival during childbirth.