Health information on pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding is widely available and, in many countries, women are accompanied through labour and childbirth by their partners or another member of the family. Not all women in the WHO European Region, however, have benefited equally from this progress. Even in western countries, a mother belonging to an immigrant community is much more likely to suffer from complications of pregnancy than a mother belonging to the native-born community. Further, a girl born in Turkey or Kyrgyzstan is 10-12 times more likely to die when becoming a mother than a girl born in Denmark, Germany or Sweden. The acute lack of essential drugs and equipment is threatening the quality of antenatal and obstetric care in many countries of the Region.
Safe motherhood is a human right that extends beyond perinatal services.
Every year, about 9 million women in central and eastern Europe must resort to abortions, because they cannot afford to buy modern effective contraceptives. Laws governing social security and health care during pregnancy and motherhood are often insufficiently implemented in both western and eastern countries. The WHO Regional Office for Europe is supporting Member States in implementing WHO-recommended policies to protect mothers and children from physical and psychological harm and abuse. The WHO Regional Office for Europe will convene representatives of all European health ministries, in Copenhagen from 11 to 13 May 1998, to explore and agree on ways to make safer motherhood available for all.