Achieving of Iran to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG5) in Maternal health

The content of the fifth Goal of the Millennium Development Goals Declaration in 2000 (MDG 5) was to improve maternal health by reducing maternal mortality and achieving to the universal coverage of reproductive health services and all countries were committed to achieve this goal by 2015. This study aimed to assess the Iran’s achievement of this goal.
Data were extracted from national and international data sources including World Report from United Nations on maternal mortality Trends, database of the World Bank, World Health Organization and UNICEF, the maternal mortality surveillance system of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, the national Demographic and Health Surveys in 2000 and 2010, yearbooks of National Organization for Civil Registration and Statistics Center of Iran. Data were analyzed using Excel 2013 software to produce descriptive statistics.
Indicators related to maternal health in the Islamic Republic of Iran between the years 1990-2015 has improved substantially. The coverage of at least one prenatal care reached to 97 %, and maternal mortality decreased by 80% compared to the baseline. A set of hospital and outpatient care program and establishment of the maternal mortality surveillance system contributed to improvement in maternal health.
The efforts of the Islamic Republic of Iran to improve maternal health over the past quarter century can inspire other countries to improve maternal health.