110 HRES 1022 EH: Reducing maternal mortality both at home and abroad.
U.S. House of Representatives
2008-05-21
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EN
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Whereas an estimated 536,000 women die during pregnancy and childbirth every year which is equivalent to one death every minute;
Whereas an estimated 15 percent of pregnancies and childbirths involve unpredictable and often life-threatening complications that require emergency care;
Whereas girls under 15 are estimated to be 5 times more likely to die during childbirth than women in their 20s;
Whereas nearly all these deaths are preventable;
Whereas survival rates greatly depend upon the distance and time a woman must travel to get skilled emergency medical care;
Whereas care by skilled birth attendants, nurses, midwives, or doctors during pregnancy and childbirth, including emergency services, and care for mothers and newborns is essential;
Whereas the poorer the household, the greater the risk of maternal death, and 99 percent of maternal deaths occur in developing countries;
Whereas newborns whose mothers die of any cause are 3 to 10 times more likely to die within 2 years than those whose mothers survive;
Whereas more than 1,000,000 children are left motherless and vulnerable every year;
Whereas young girls are often pulled from school and required to fill their lost mother’s roles;
Whereas a mother’s death lowers family income and productivity which affects the entire community;
Whereas in countries with similar levels of economic development, maternal mortality is highest where women’s status is lowest;
Whereas the United States ranks 41st among 171 countries in the latest UN list ranking maternal mortality;
Whereas the overall United States maternal mortality ratio is now 11 deaths per 100,000 live births, one of the highest rates among industrialized nations;
Whereas United States maternal deaths have remained roughly stable since 1982 and have not declined significantly since then;
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control estimates that the true level of United States maternal deaths may be 1.3 to 3 times higher than the reported rate; and
Whereas ethnic and racial disparities in maternal mortality rates persist and in the United States maternal mortality among black women is almost four times the rate among non-Hispanic white women: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of Representatives—
(1)affirms its commitment to promoting maternal health and child survival both at home and abroad through greater international investment and participation; and
(2)recognizes maternal health and child survival as fundamental to the well-being of families and societies, and to global development and prosperity.
Lorraine C. Miller,Clerk.