Over the 1990-2015 period, there was a reduction in maternal mortality by 45 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa and 59 per cent in North Africa. Despite the progress of the last two decades, however, there are still major risk factors for women’s health. More than 60 per cent of the world's maternal deaths occur in the African continent. In 2015, there were 546 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in sub-Saharan Africa (70 in North Africa), compared to the world average of 216 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, with developed countries having achieved an average of 12 deaths (WHO, 2015: 17,20).