For centuries, the handling of childbirth and childcare was considered the domain of midwives and mothers. The second half of the 20th century witnessed a change in thinking. The role of the state in improving the health of people came to the forefront. In the opening years of the 21st century, the millennium development goals placed maternal and child health at the core of the struggle against poverty and inequality, as a human rights issue. With a booming economy and an improved standard of living, no mother should die in the course of the normal process of giving birth. However, more than 500,000 mothers are still dying each year, mostly of avoidable causes