Millennium Development Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Target: Reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio
According to the latest estimates, 78 per cent of women in the developing world receive antenatal care (ANC) from a skilled health provider at least once during pregnancy. Regional averages range from a low of 68 per cent in South Asia to a high of 95 per cent in Central and Eastern Europe/Commonwealth of Independent States (CEE/CIS).
The antenatal period presents important opportunities for reaching pregnant women with a number of interventions that may be vital to their health and well-being and that of their infants. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a minimum of four antenatal visits.
Source: MICS, DHS and other national surveys, 2003-2008.
Reference: http://www.childinfo.org/antenatal_care.html
