State of the World's Mothers 2008
In May Save the Children , a U.S.-based independent global humanitarian organization, released its ninth annual Mothers' Index that ranks the best - and worst - places to be a mother and a child. The Mother's Index, highlighted in the organization's State of the World's Mothers 2008 report, compares the well-being of mothers and children in 146 countries, more than in any previous year. Nordic countries held the top rankings of the best places to be a mother, while countries in sub-Saharan Africa dominate the bottom tier.
The top-10 countries, in general, have very high scores for mothers' and children's health, educational and economic status, while the 10 bottom-ranked countries are a reverse image, performing poorly on all indicators. Conditions for mothers and their children in countries at the bottom of the Index are bleak. On average, 1 in 21 mothers will die in her lifetime from pregnancy-related causes. More than 1 child in 6 dies before her fifth birthday, and roughly 1 in 3 suffers from malnutrition, and only 3 girls for every 4 boys are enrolled in primary school.
To view the State of the World's Mothers 2008 Presentation, please click here.
