Maternal health care : policies, technical standards and services accessibility in eight countries in the Western Pacific Region

Target 5A of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was to reduce maternal deaths by 75% between 1990 and 2015. The Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group comprising the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children?s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Bank Group and the United Nations Population Division assessed the 95 countries with an MMR higher than 100 in 1990. The report notes Cambodia, the Lao People?s Democratic Republic and Mongolia have achieved this target in the Western Pacific Region. However, maternal mortality remains higher than the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target in five countries in the Region. WHO has developed evidence-based maternal health recommendations for reducing maternal mortality and morbidity. This review compares national guidelines and protocols, implementation and health system standards to WHO recommendations for eight countries that account for 96% of maternal deaths in the Western Pacific Region.