Recent estimates of maternal mortality have shown that the WHO African region has made no important progress toward achieving the MDG target. To date 31 countries out of the 46 have a very high mortality ratio ranging from 550 to 100 per 100,000 live births. In Eritrea, there has been a marked reduction in maternal mortality from 998 per 100,000 live births in 1995 (EDHS) to 450 in 2005 (UN estimates).

To boost up its march towards the full attainment of the MDG target on maternal health the Ministry of Health has developed a new sexual and reproductive health strategic plan for the year 2011-2015 with the support of WHO.