Maternal Mortality, Human Rights and Accountability

Maternal mortality remains one of the highest causes of death in the world today. A fact recognised by the UN Human Rights Council with resolutions aimed at reducing preventable maternal mortality in 2009 and 2010, and as part of the Millennium Development Goals in 2000 which included a commitment by the international community to reduce the maternal mortality ratio by three-quarters between 1990 and 2015. This book focuses on a critically important part of maternal mortality and human rights, that of monitoring, accountability and redress at the local, national and international level.

The book features contributions from an impressive list of researchers, scholars, legal practitioners and activists including: Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe; Paul Hunt; Navanethem Pillay; and Samantha Lobis. Part one on monitoring considers the use of and 'citizenship surveillance', the role of indicators and benchmarks in reducing maternal mortality and the monitoring and analysing health budgets in relation to maternal mortality. The book then goes on to look at accountability exploring the the use of maternal death audits, the role of national and local parliamentary bodies and courts and human rights organizations as well as considering how international accountability for maternal mortality can be strengthened. The book functions as an introduction to some of the key issues on maternal mortality, human rights and accountability, and provides a valuable link between academic debates, discussions at UN and NGO level, and practice on the ground.