By: Masha Medvedkov, Posted: Nov 10 09

Regions: India

Tags: Health and Human Rights, Health Care, maternal health

**This post is part of an ongoing series that showcases users and videos from the Hub**

"Pregnancy is not a disease or illness. Yet more than half a million women and girls die every year because of pregnancy, childbirth, and unsafe abortions. Health experts determine that about 75% of these maternal deaths are preventable."

— No Tally of the Anguish: HRW Report 2009

One woman dies every minute as a result of complications during pregnancy or childbirth - that's a half million women every year.  Around 20% of these deaths happen in India.

In this video, Human Rights Watch documents the story of Kiran Yaddav, a 25-year-old woman from Uttar Pradesh who died a preventable death after giving birth to a baby boy. Kiran is one of the many women of Uttar Pradesh - a northern province with the second highest maternal mortality rate in India - who has died in a health facilities that are under equipped to handle complications and often operating without a surgeon or a blood bank.  Watch Kiran's story and learn about the realities that many pregnant women face across India: 

Many health facilities in India lack electricity, space, proper equipment, and enough qualified doctors - deficiencies that too often result in fatalities. Additionally, problems with transportation for women living in rural India are a contributing factor to the high death toll. The health system in India is not only failing to save women from preventable deaths but also neglecting to properly document exactly how many are dying, how, and why. While countless others have died in silence, Kiran's husband has gone to the media and government authorities to demand justice and accountability. According to a comprehensive Human Rights Watch report, the Indian government has acknowledged the dismal circumstance of maternal mortality in  Uttar Pradesh as well as other parts of the country. The report addresses failures and gaps in India's health care system and pushes for vital steps towards improvement. What is your reaction to this video? Share your thoughts in the comment field below.

Resources: 

HRW Press Release: Too Many Women Dying in Childbirth

HRW Report: No Tally of the Anguish

Magnum Photos: In Silence, Maternal Mortality in India

Center for Reproductive Rights: Maternal Mortality in India