Study: Swedish Moms Have Best Conditions
W A S H I N G T O N, May 8 -- An index that measures the status of mothersaround the world put four Scandinavian countries at the top of thelist. The bottom 10 nations are all in Africa.
A report issued today by the Save the Children foundationranked countries on the basis of mothers' access to health care,use of contraception and family planning, literacy rate andparticipation in government.
Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland led the list followed by theNetherlands, Switzerland, Canada, Austria, Australia and Britain.The United States was 11th.
The 10 countries at the bottom of the 94 are, with the worstfirst, Guinea Bissau, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mali, Yemen, Gambia,Burundi, Mauritania, Central African Republic and Benin.
Mothers Matter Most
"The findings confirm what Save the Children has learnedthrough 70 years of experience: that it we care about children wemust turn to the experts — their mothers," said CharlesMacCormack, the foundation's president.
"When countries take measures to ensure that mothers arehealthy, well-educated and well-nourished they vastly increase thelikelihood that their children will do well."
The report was issued to coincide with Mother's Day, which is this Sunday in the United States. The date varies in other countries.
The report said among the factors studied investments in safemotherhood programs and in education for girls and women areperhaps the most essential.
"However, gender-based violence and the rising tide of HIV/AIDScontinue to undermine efforts to improve the lives of women andgirls," the report said.
Chasm Between First and Third Worlds
The health and survival of mothers and children, the study said,are most closely associated with a healthy pregnancy and safechildbirth. Availability of these services is dramatic, theanalysis added.
"In Ethiopia, for instance, only 10 percent of births areattended by trained health personnel, two percent of women usemodern contraceptives and 118 infants out of 1,000 die before theirfirst birthday," the report said.
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