Maternal and newborn health remains a critical issue in the health agenda of developing countries around the world. In 2013, 289,000 women died from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, 2.6 million babies died from premature childbirth during the last three months of pregnancy or during delivery, and 2.7 million babies died as newborns.
While life expectancy has increased worldwide in recent decades, dramatic health inequalities persist across the world despite efforts to expand the supply of health services to disadvantaged populations. However, more emphasis is now being placed on demand strategies in an effort to change behavioral patterns related to maternity and childbirth, including covering direct costs, promotion of social and cultural changes, and introduction of incentives. Read more in The World Bank Research Observer: Changing Behavioral Patterns Related to Maternity and Childbirth in Rural and Poor Populations: A Critical Review
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