Confronting maternal mortality due to postpartum hemorrhage and unsafe abortion : a call for commitment : commentary

Abstract

In July 2012, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, more than 35 obstetrician/gynecologists, nurse-midwives and public health professionals working in Africa recommitted to and reinvigorated their efforts towards achieving Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 at a Regional Experts' Summit. During the weeklong conference convened to explore the myriad factors contributing to maternal mortality in the 12 African countries represented, the experts identified solutions that exist today, and that can be made available on a large scale to confront preventable maternal deaths. One such solution, misoprostol, is a simple and effective medicine that can contribute significantly to our efforts to reduce maternal mortality.