Women wait outside the only maternity hospital in Srinagar, India, on July 10, 2008, a day ahead of World Population Day. (Mukhtar Khan/Associated Press)

Women in the least developed countries are 300 times more likely to die in childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications than women in developed countries, UNICEF said in an annual report Thursday.

The 160-page State of the World’s Children report also said a child born in a developing country is almost 14 times more likely to die during the first month than a child born in the developed world.

In developing countries, a woman has a one-in-76 chance of dying as a result of complications during pregnancy or childbirth compared to one-in-8,000 for women in industrialized countries.

"Progress has been made in reducing child mortality but much more must be done especially in addressing maternal and newborn health," UNICEF director Ann Veneman said at the launch of the group’s report.

In developing countries, a woman has a one-in-76 chance of dying as a result of complications during pregnancy or childbirth compared to one-in-8,000 for women in industrialized countries. (CBC)

"The world must approach this task with a shared sense of urgency and a collaborative response."

The UN has called for a 75 per cent reduction in the maternal mortality rate by 2015 as part of its Millennium Development Goals program, but some countries in the developing world are falling behind.

The UN agency said many of deaths could be prevented by:

• Improving family planning and care for newborns.
• Ensuring trained medics are available for deliveries.
• Providing HIV drugs to infected women to improve the chances of survival for new mothers and their babies.
• Offering a continuum of health services that integrates home, community, outreach and facility-based care.

Nigel Fisher, president and CEO of UNICEF Canada, called on the federal government Thursday to build on its commitments to improving child and maternal health in developing countries during the current period of economic turmoil.

The report pointed to Canada's $105-million contribution to UNICEF for 2007 to 2012. The funds will help deliver affordable health care in sub-Saharan Africa.

Educating girls

Every year, about 70,000 girls and young women aged 15 to 19 die as a result of pregnancy or complications of childbirth, Veneman said.

Worldwide, more than 60 million women who are currently aged 20-24 were married before they were 18. Most of these marriages occurred in South Asia and in Africa.

If a mother is under the age of 18, her infant's risk of dying in its first year of life is 60 per cent greater than if the mother is older than 19, the agency said.

Saving lives of mothers and newborns requires more than medical intervention, Veneman said, noting education is key.

"If young girls are not in school, they are more vulnerable," agreed South African Health Minister Barbara Hogan, who spoke at the launch.

"It's not just a health issue; it is about the status of young women and girls."

Progress has been made in improving child survival rates in recent years, but maternal mortality remains high, according to the report.

Niger and Malawi, for example, nearly cut their under-five death rates in half between 1990 and 2007.

The 10 countries with the highest lifetime risk of maternal death were: Niger, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Chad, Angola, Liberia, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea-Bissau and Mali.

With files from the Associated Press