4.1 The right to the highest attainable standard of health

Frequency and Risk Factors Associated with Mortality in Pregnant Women in Tehran-Iran

“…In 2011, 77% of mothers had in Iran who died were 18 to 35 years old, 3% were under 18 years old and 20% were over 35 years of age (HUNT et al, 2008). In the study of Agan et al (2010), the highest percentage of death (65.3) was at the age of 20 to 34 years and 16.8% were under 18 years (Hernández-Correa, 2010) which is consistent with the present study.…”

Socio-cultural and service delivery dimensions of maternal mortality in rural central India: a qualitative exploration using a human rights lens

“…According to the estimates of the World Health Organization (WHO), 88 to 98% of maternal deaths are preventable ( 36 ). Considering its preventability, maternal mortality is being increasingly recognised as a human rights issue ( 37 – 46 ) . The Human Rights Council of the United Nations, in its resolution adopted in 2009, recognised the unacceptably high global rate of maternal mortality and morbidity as a health, development, and human rights challenge and expressed that a human rights analysis and integration of a human rights perspective in international and national responses to maternal mortality and morbidity could contribute positively in eliminating preventable maternal mortality and morbidity ( 45 ).…”

“…Several organisations and scholars have also conducted holistic assessments of maternal mortality and brought more clarity on human rights in the context of maternal health. The major contributions in this regard have been from the WHO, the UN Human Rights Council, Amnesty International, Paul Hunt, and UN Special Rapporteur on Right to Health, among others ( 45 , 46 , 50 – 54 ) . Critics of the right to health raise concerns over how to ensure achieving this goal as they believe that this right is an abstract right which is not justiciable.…”

“…For meeting these obligations, states must take actions to ensure women's access to maternal health care along with other relevant reproductive health care services. States must increase resource allocation for maternal and reproductive health care services, develop and implement policies and programmes to ensure availability and access to these services by women without discrimination, improve transportation to the existing services, raise knowledge and awareness in the communities regarding complications and services, and address the social, cultural, and economic factors that constrain women's access to these services ( 46 , 56 , 57 ).…”

“…The objective of this study was to explore socio-cultural and service delivery–related dimensions of maternal deaths in rural central India using a human rights lens. The human rights approach has been previously used for exploring maternal mortality in various settings ( 46 , 52 – 54 , 58 , 59 ), and this study builds on them. The key strength of this approach is that it provides a framework for examining the issues around maternal mortality in a holistic manner in the context of the rights of the right holders and the obligations of the states and health systems as duty bearers.…”