Ireland South MEP Deidre Clune has launched a major new report into Maternal Health in the European Union. The study, by the European Institute of Women’s Health, seeks to eliminate preventable deaths from complications of pregnancy and childbirth. It brings together information, evidence and statistics to trace trends, improve maternal health and identify barriers that hinder the provision of quality care.

MEP Clune says “Comprehensive reports like this are important to give a perspective into a core aspect of healthcare in the EU. The report says that ‘every woman within the EU has a fundamental right to high quality maternity care’, but the realisation of those rights are ‘not straightforward”.

The details outlined in the report will help address that reality and chart the way forward. “We all need to work together to make sure that maternity care will be safe, of high-quality and offer a better experience and more choice to women and their families.”

The launch of the report also heard from representatives of the European Commission, the European Midwives Association and the Irish National Health Department, who addressed issues such as vaccination, mental health, and access to appropriate care.