This is a very interesting and indeed a ‘wake-up call’ article highlighting the high maternal mortality and morbidity prevalent in India and what can be done to reduce the enormity of the problem. The data are alarming, revealing that of the half million women dying worldwide every year from pregnancy or childbirth-related problems, a quarter of these deaths occur in India alone.

In 2005, the maternal mortality rate (MMR) in India was 450 deaths per 100 000 live births, compared to …