III 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 616 

Reducing maternal mortality both at home and abroad. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 21 (legislative day, JULY 17), 2008 

Mrs. LINCOLN (for herself, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. LEVIN, Ms. COLLINS, Ms. 

STABENOW, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. DOLE, 

Mr. SALAZAR, Mrs. BOXER, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. REED, Mr. JOHNSON, 

Mrs. CLINTON, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Ms. CANTWELL, and Mr. BROWN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

OCTOBER 2 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 17), 2008 

Committee discharged; considered, amended, and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Reducing maternal mortality both at home and abroad. 

Whereas more than 536,000 women die during pregnancy 

and childbirth every year which is one every minute; 

Whereas in 15 percent of all pregnancies, the complications 

are life-threatening; 

Whereas girls under 15 are 5 times more likely to die in 

childbirth than women in their 20s; 

Whereas nearly all these deaths are preventable; 


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•SRES 616 ATS 

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; 


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•SRES 616 ATS 

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 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) makes a stronger commitment to reducing 

3 maternal mortality both at home and abroad 

4 through more effective financial investment and par5 ticipation in global initiatives; and 

6 (2) recognizes that the right to access quality 

7 and affordable health care is essential to improving 

8 maternal health. 

Æ 


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