In the last decades, the life expectancy of the population in India has shown remarkable improvement from 41 at birth in 1961 to the present day of 65 years. Yet, over a 1,00,000 women in India continue to die of pregnancy related causes every year. The Maternal Mortality Rate in India is 407 per 1,00,000 live births (SRS, RGI 1998). The major causes of these deaths have been identified as hemorrhage (both ante and post-partum), toxemia (hypertension during pregnancy), anemia, obstructed labour, puerperal sepsis (infections after delivery) and unsafe abortion.

The Maternal Health Programme which is a component of the Reproductive and Child Health Programme aims at reducing internal mortality to less than 100 by 2010 through a number of interventions. They are essential obstetric care which intends to provide the basic maternity services to all pregnant women by ensuring early registration of pregnant women, at least three ante-natal checkups for taking preventive and promotive steps and to detect complications early for prompt action and at least three post-natal check ups to monitor the post-natal recovery. The provision of emergency obstetric care is through establishment of First Referral Units; Institutional delivery is by providing round-the-clock delivery services in PHCs/CHCs. The other interventions include provision of safe abortion services, prevention and management of RTI/STI, holding of RCH Camps in remote areas and training of Dais for clean and safe delivery.