Women Deliver demonstrated international consensus around The Core Four: Strategies to Save Lives

In order to reduce maternal mortality—and to achieve Millennium Development Goal 5 and consequently all the interrelated MDGs—the international community must provide:

• Family planning and other reproductive health services
• Skilled care during and immediately after pregnancy and childbirth
• Emergency obstetric care when life threatening complications develop
• Immediate postnatal care for mothers and newborns

Every government and donor needs to prioritize and support these four strategies, within the context of global commitments to strengthening health systems, realizing human rights, involving communities, and prioritizing the needs of the poor and marginalized.  Successful implementation of these four critical interventions requires redoubled political will, new resources, effective planning, and on-going monitoring, evaluation, and accountability.