Operation New Life

Maternal Health Basic and Inadequate

• Only 16% of all births attended by skilled medical personnel
• Only 1% of all births by Caesarian Section
• One of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world
• Average fertility rate: 7.37 children born per woman (2007 est.)
• Lifetime risk of maternal death: 1 in 7
• 6.8 million women in Niger with only 10 medical centres that can perform caesarian
• 50% of all women in Niger give birth while still in their teens some as young as 10 years of age
• Contraceptive prevalence = 14%, 1997-2005
• 800,000 Orphans, Children (0-17 years) due to all causes, 2005, estimate.
• Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2004): 4.2
• Gross national income per capita (PPP international $): 800

- Figures for 2005 unless indicated: World Health Statistics 2007 and UNICEF