The deaths of pregnant women do not interest the press

Last Sunday, May 2, was the Spanish Mother's Day. Using this date as a reivindication, Save the Children published the eleventh report on the Global State of the Mothers. This publication has highlighted some figures, which are not covered by the media.

The purpose of this report is "to analyze the best and worst places in the world to be a mother." The indicators studied are health, education or economic conditions of both mothers and children. Some data are not always very flattering.

In fact, very alarming figures were collected: 343,000 women die each year from complications during pregnancy or childbirth; each year nearly 9 million children do not reach their fifth birthday. It is also important to note that 50 million women in developing countries give birth without the attention of minimally qualified staff.

On the other hand, it also indicates that the best country to have a child is Norway, while the worst is Afghanistan. Spain stands at number 13, after dropping two spots on the list. Given these data, it is important to analyze the treatment the media have given to the report.

Spanish headlines looms as Spain and Norway are among countries optimal for childbearing. The Público journal reports "Spain, a good place to be a mother", El País, "Norway is the best country in the world to be a mother”; and ABC, “The world's best place to be born." In the three of them the priority information is about Spain and the best places to give birth to kids.

News agencies highlight the best and worst place to have a child. The Spanish news agency EFE entitled "Norway and Australia, the best countries to be a mother, and the worst is Afghanistan”; and France's AFP: "Norway is the best country to be mother and the worst is Afghanistan." Other papers emphasize the fall in the list of Spain: El Mundo says that "Spain is worse in the ranking of countries to be a mother" or La Vanguardia, "Spain drops two places in the ranking of the best countries to be mother."

No paper opens with the headline referring to the 343,000 women that die each year from complications during pregnancy or childbirth. Although, it was the headline appearing in the press release sent by Save the Children to the media. Why are we so afraid to recognize these victims? If we observe the presence of this information is in the news, we find that these data do not appear or simply is summarized in several sentences.

From Save the Children they say that they are satisfied because "most of the media carried the report data." However, they point out that "prioritizing the information that affects the western world is not going to achieve awareness in the international society on the South."

Different approaches to the information cause different views. On this occasion they have. The information published in the media does not correspond to what Save the Children has pointed out. Perhaps these media need to learn some lessons from NGOs with the aim to take the South ona higher place on the agendas of the communication.