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Report Ranks Mothers' Well-Being for 106 CountriesNational Center for Education in Maternal and Child HealthMay 12, 2000 State of the World's Mothers 2000, a report released by the international relief and child development organization Save the Children, ranks the status of mothers and children in 106 countries. The report ranks Norway first and Niger last in meeting the needs of mothers, with the US tied with Switzerland for fourth. In Norway 1 woman in 7,300 dies from pregnancy, whereas in Niger the lifetime risk is 1 in 7. The report compares mothers' health, access to medical care, maternal mortality rates, contraceptive use, literacy, and participation in national government among 20 industrialized and 86 developing nations. It also evaluates children's well-being by comparing infant mortality rates, primary school enrollment, nutrition, and access to safe water. The study identifies female education and use of voluntary family planning as being most closely associated with mothers' and children's improved status. It also points out that despite the gap between industrialized and developing countries in meeting the needs of mothers and children, a country's wealth does not guarantee a mother's welfare. For example, Kuwait ranks 3rd in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita but 50th in mothers' well-being. By contrast, Costa Rica ranks 35th in GDP per capita but 12th in mothers' well-being. Furthermore, the report states that while the US is the wealthiest country, it ties for 4th place for mothers' well-being and ranks 15th for children's well-being. The researchers found a lack of data on women's economic status, access to child care, and prevalence of HIV/AIDS. Accordingly, the report calls for improved research focusing on mothers. It also calls for ensuring access to quality education for women and girls and for ensuring that all women have access to high-quality, voluntary family planning services. Save the Children. State of the World's Mothers 2000. 2000, May. Available at http://www.savethechildren.org/worldsmothers00/2000.html. To subscribe to the MCH Alert,
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