This Series highlights two fundamental issues that need to be addressed to improve maternal health: quality of maternal health care for all.
This Lancet Series on maternal health comes just 1 year after countries committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs call on all stakeholders to leave no one behind in addressing the unfinished agenda for maternal and child health. The Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (Global Strategy) calls for integrated solutions to prevent maternal, newborn, and child deaths and stillbirths and to realise a world where women and children thrive and transform their communities and nations. To achieve this, we must address social determinants of maternal and newborn health, and improve access to respectful, high-quality, integrated care.