Figure MDG5.2 examines the proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel (doctors, nurses, midwives), the most effective way of preventing maternal death. This proportion has remained virtually unchanged in sub-Saharan Africa over the past 15 years.

Figure MDG5.2: Insufficient Increase in the Proportion of Births Attended by Skilled Personnel in Regions with High Levels of Maternal Mortality

The regions with the lowest proportions of birth attended by skilled health care personnel are South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, which also have the highest numbers of maternal deaths. In East Asia, there has been a considerable increase in the proportion of births attended by skilled health care personnel, which is reflected in a significant decline in maternal deaths.

Notes: Percent of births attended by skilled health personnel includes the number of births out of 100 that took place under the supervision of an attendant with training on maternal care and child delivery.
Sources: UN Statistics Division Millennium Indicators database.

The prevention of unplanned pregnancies could, on its own, reduce maternal deaths by around one quarter, including those that result from unsafe terminations. In this sense, the inclusion of a new target related to universal access to reproductive health care is important, especially when accompanied by indicators such as the unmet need for family planning and the contraceptive prevalence rate. According to the United Nations Statistics Division, 137 million women in the world still have an unmet need for family planning, and contraceptive prevalence has increased from 55 per cent in 1990 to 64 per cent in 2005. Another 64 million are using traditional methods of contraception, which can have high failure rates.