Nearly 600,000 women die of pregnancy-related complications every year. One woman in 30 who develop chronic, debilitating problems, dies. Each year, nearly 3.4 million infants die in the first days of their life. And for every baby that dies, another is stillborn. These deaths are due to poor health and inadequate care during pregnancy and childbirth. They can be prevented. What is needed is political will at the highest levels, awareness at the local level, community mobilisation, access to affordable midwifery care and obstetricians.