Safe maternity and the world of work

This publication sets out three priority areas within the ILO mandate that stand to contribute substantially to efforts aimed at improving maternal health.

Every year, around 8 million women suffer pregnancy-related complications and more than half a million women die before, during, and after childbirth. The tragedy of maternal and infant mortality throw into sharp relief the urgent need for effective action through coherent and collaborative approaches at international and national levels. This publication sets out three priority areas within the ILO mandate that stand to contribute substantially to efforts aimed at improving maternal health. First, scaling up efforts to improve maternity protection and health through the workplace is a great need everywhere, to promote the health of pregnant women at the workplace, and to protect the employment of women during maternity. Second, social health protection is vital to ensure that health care is within the reach of all and that financial barriers do not deter women from securing the care they need. Third, ensuring decent work for health workers is a must for addressing the global crisis.