It is estimated that ten million women present complications related to pregnancy every year all over the world, with 500,000 maternal deaths and eight million annual perinatal deaths. Two components of the Millennium Development Goals, the reduction of maternal and infant mortality, are at the core of the sexual and reproductive
health field. In spite of several factors that aggravate the vulnerability of women and neonates to complications and deaths, an optimal medical treatment can largely improve their survival when they experience complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. In the context of maternal and neonatal survival, the availability and use of effective, lifesaving interventions, and the quality of their implementation are key factors for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals
The main objectives are to study the incidence and the management of maternal and neonatal conditions associated with maternal and neonatal mortality in a worldwide network of health facilities. The near miss concept and the availability and use of preventive and therapeutic interventions will be used to evaluate the quality of care