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In 2005 the average maternal mortality rate for the WHO European Region was 27 deaths per 100 000 live births, but the highest maternal mortality rate in the Region is now estimated to be an appalling 170 times greater than the lowest.

The major direct causes of maternal morbidity and mortality include haemorrhage, infection, high blood pressure, unsafe abortion, and obstructed labour. These can be prevented and treated with basic, cost-effective interventions, but nevertheless not all women in the WHO European Region have access to the skilled care they need.

Of all neonatal deaths, 75% occur during the first week of life, and of those deaths, 25–45% occur within the first 24 hours. The main causes of newborn deaths are prematurity and low-birth-weight, infections, asphyxia ,birth trauma and congenital abnormalities. These causes account for nearly 80% of deaths in this age group. Two thirds of newborn deaths could be prevented if well-known and effective health interventions are provided during pregnancy, at birth and during the first week of life.