In nearly every case, the deaths of women rob their families and societies of social support and productive workers. In fact, it could be higher. It's difficult to measure maternal mortality because it requires accurate information about deaths of women ages 15 to 49. In the case of Mozambique, specialists use mathematical models to predict the proportion of all deaths of women of reproductive age that are maternal, and then apply this proportion to UN projections of adult female deaths. Poor general health is common, prenatal visits are rare, and fewer than half of births are assisted by trained health workers.
Illegal abortions are common and very often result in maternal deaths.
Although hospitals interpret abortion laws liberally and offer abortions for a fee, many women are too poor to pay and so go to unsafe practitioners. This text may not be reproduced or reprinted in any form without the express written permission of the Population Reference Bureau. See our copyright policy .