The latest Lancet series on maternal health reveals that nearly one quarter of babies worldwide are still delivered in the absence of a skilled birth attendant. 
•    Further, one-third of the total maternal deaths in 2015 happened in India, where 45,000 mothers died during pregnancy or childbirth while Nigeria shouldered the maximum burden of 58,000 maternal deaths.
•    Each year, about 210 million women become pregnant and about 140 million newborn babies are delivered. 
•    Ahead of the U.N. General Assembly, The Lancet has published a new series of papers on maternal health which reveal that while progress has been made in reducing maternal mortality globally, differences remain at international and national levels. 
•    For instance, 40.5% of all births are now by caesarean section in Latin America and the Caribbean,” stated one paper.
•    The authors of the series identify five key priorities that require immediate attention in order to achieve the global target of a maternal mortality ratio of less than 70 per 1,00,000 live births.

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