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Glossary of Terms
Abortion – The loss of a pregnancy resulting in the death of the fetus.
- Elective abortion – termination of pregnancy by choice.
- Spontaneous abortion (or miscarriage) – natural termination of pregnancy.
- Unsafe abortion – abortions performed in unsanitary conditions by inadequately skilled persons. They may be conducted with inadequate technology or unsterile tools. Unsafe abortions are often performed in places where abortions are illegal, culturally taboo or where legal and safe abortions are unaffordable or inaccessible.
AIDS – The disease caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) that is characterized by the weakening of the immune system, which leaves the body ill-equipped to fight disease. A person may live with HIV for up to 10 years before developing AIDS. The definition of AIDS is determined by a CD4 cell count below 200 cells per cubic millimeter. AIDS eventually leads to death due to the development of an opportunistic infection (i.e. viral, bacterial and fungal infections) or cancers.1, 2 Without treatment, AIDS deaths can be rapid – within a year of diagnosis. There is still no cure or vaccine for HIV/AIDS, but the disease can be managed with antiretroviral treatment.
Anemia – A condition that occurs when a person’s red blood cell count falls below normal. Anemia can have many causes, including deficiencies of vitamin B12, folate or iron, or blood loss.3 Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body’s organs – lack of oxygen results in fatigue.
Cardiovascular diseases – The family of diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels. Cardiovascular diseases include rheumatic heart disease, hypertensive disease and cerebrovascular diseases (i.e. strokes).4 These diseases are usually characterized by the loss of elasticity of the arteries due to blockage or hardening.
Cervix – The lower end of the uterus, situated right above the vagina, connecting the vagina to the uterus. A baby must pass through the cervical canal during birth.
Chronic respiratory diseases – Diseases of the respiratory system marked by long-term or recurring symptoms. Chronic respiratory diseases include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary hypertension. Chronic respiratory diseases account for the loss of 8.4 million DALYs in women aged 15 and older in low-income countries, ranking fifth among the non-communicable diseases.4, 5
Diabetes mellitus – A condition in which a person’s blood-sugar level rises unusually high and the body has difficultly producing or maintaining proper levels of insulin. Diabetes mellitus can lead to vision loss, cardiovascular disease, kidney failure or nerve damage among other complications. If a similar condition occurs in pregnant women, it is referred to as gestational diabetes. Failure to diagnose and address diabetes during pregnancy not only poses health risks for the mother, but also for the child, including stillbirth and congenital anomalies, among others.6
Digestive diseases – Diseases affecting the organs of the digestive system, including cirrhosis of the liver (i.e. scarring) and appendicitis.4These diseases cause the death of 302,000 women in low-income countries each year. This group of diseases is the tenth leading cause of death and disability among women in their reproductive years.4
Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) – DALYs provide an estimate of the total burden of disease by capturing the non-fatal effects of disease that mortality data fail to show.4, 7 DALYs measure the years of healthy life lost due to disability, sickness or premature mortality – higher DALYs indicate more debilitating diseases. For example, HIV/AIDS causes an estimated 85 million DALYs per year and lower respiratory infections cause an estimated 91 million DALYs per year. When looking at the cost per DALY saved for an intervention, the lower the ratio of cost to DALY saved, the more cost-effective the intervention (e.g., an intervention that costs $20 per DALY saved is more cost-effective than an intervention that costs $200 per DALY saved).
Ectopic pregnancy – Occurs when a fetus begins to develop outside the uterus. The most common site for an ectopic pregnancy is within the fallopian tubes.3 These pregnancies can be very dangerous because the uterus is the only place designed to support the growth of a fetus. Severe pain and vaginal bleeding are symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy.
Embolism – When a blood clot travels to another place in the body and causes damage to tissues or organs.
Fallopian tube – Channel connecting the ovaries to the uterus that the eggs pass through during ovulation. Ovulation occurs once during a women’s reproductive cycle, when an egg is released from the ovary.
Hemorrhage or postpartum hemorrhage – Bleeding that occurs after giving birth in the site where the placenta was attached during pregnancy.8 As the placenta often covers a large surface area, hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal deaths in Africa and Asia. Between 31 and 34 percent of total deaths between 1997 and 2002 were due to hemorrhage.9
HIV – The virus that causes HIV disease and AIDS. It may be transmitted through blood or, most often, through sexual fluids. HIV targets and infects cells of the immune system, wreaking havoc on the body’s natural ability to defend itself against illness. People living with HIV will be asymptomatic for a while after infection; up to 10 years may pass before HIV develops into AIDS.1, 2 There is still no cure or vaccine for HIV/AIDS, but the disease can be managed with antiretroviral treatment.
Hepatitis – The swelling of the liver that causes cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver.3 Hepatitis is most often caused by viruses – type A, B or C.Hepatitis can also be caused by alcohol consumption or other toxins.
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy – Defined by unusually high levels of blood pressure in the arteries, hypertension predisposes a person to various adverse conditions or health events, such as stroke or heart failure. In low-income countries, it is the cause of 7 percent of maternal deaths among women of reproductive age; in Latin America, hypertension is the leading cause of maternal deaths – comprising more than one-quarter of all maternal deaths.9
Lifetime risk of maternal death – A woman’s chance of death due to complications and illnesses related to childbirth. In developed regions including Europe, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the United States, one out of every 2,800 women dies from pregnancy-related complications.10 In Eastern Asia, one out of every 840 women risks death from pregnancy-related complications, while the risk is as high as one out of every 16 women in sub-Saharan Africa.
Lower respiratory infections - Lower respiratory infections, such as pneumonia and influenza, are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the developing world.4, 11, 12 These infections target the lungs and bronchial airways. Of the lower respiratory infections, pneumonia and influenza can be the most severe and are leading causes of death among young children, adults over the age of 60 and people with compromised immune systems. Malnutrition, poverty and cigarette smoking increase susceptibility to infection and decrease chances of recovery.11, 13
Maternal conditions – Maternal conditions include hemorrhage, sepsis, hypertensive disorders, obstructed labor, and unsafe abortion. Collectively, maternal conditions are one of the leading causes of death and disability among women of reproductive age. About half a million women die of pregnancy-related causes each year, and about 10 million more survive but suffer long-term (sometimes life-long) complications related to pregnancy or childbirth.14-16
Malignant neoplasm – Commonly known as cancers, malignant neoplasms occur when cell division goes awry due to mutation. These malignant cells do not follow the rules of division common to healthy cells, allowing for unrestricted, rapid cell division and the formation of blood vessels to provide nourishment for the abnormally high growth and reproduction rate. Tumors form from this process, but not all are malignant or cancerous. Benign or non-cancerous neoplasms (tumors) may also form from mutations that occur during cell division.17
Malnutrition – The lack of nutrients needed to meet the body’s energy demands and ensure appropriate growth and development. Malnourished children can be underweight – consuming too few calories – or overweight – consuming too many calories. Malnutrition can be caused by an unbalanced or inadequate diet, or by medical conditions that affect the digestion of food or absorption of nutrients from food. As adults, malnutrition in women can cause thinness, lethargy (fatigue), heart disease, hypertension, anemia or diabetes.18, 19
Maternal death or maternal mortality – The death of a woman from any cause related to pregnancy that occurs during the pregnancy or within 42 days of the pregnancy’s termination. The termination of a pregnancy can be defined as giving birth (to a stillborn or live infant) or having a miscarriage or an abortion. Late maternal deaths include deaths from obstetric causes that occur after 42 days but within one year of pregnancy termination.20
Maternal mortality rate – The number of maternal deaths per 100,000 women of reproductive age during a period of time, usually one year. The maternal mortality rate reflects the frequency with which women are exposed to health risks through fertility.20
Maternal mortality ratio (MMR) – The number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births that occur in a given time period. In the United States, the MMR is 11 per 100,000 live births.14 In Bhutan, the MMR is 440 per 100,000 live births. In Sierra Leone, the country with the highest maternal mortality ratio, as many as 2,100 mothers die per 100,000 live births. This number represents pregnancy-associated risk or maternal deaths relative to live births.
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – In 2000, eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for 2015 were agreed upon by 189 nations. The MDGs provide a framework for improving health, education, gender equity and economic and environmental conditions in developing countries. Specific and measurable targets were set for low- and middle-income developing countries.21
Miscarriage – See abortion, spontaneous
Neuropsychiatric conditions – Mental, emotional and behavioral conditions affecting the nervous system – these conditions include depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar and panic disorders. In all regions, depression comprises the largest share of these conditions, ranging from roughly 20 percent of the burden of neuropsychiatric conditions in sub-Saharan Africa to roughly 40 percent in South Asia.22
Obstetric complication – Any problem associated with the care of pregnant women (preeclampsia), delivery of the baby or postpartum period immediately following delivery.
Obstetric deaths, direct – Deaths resulting from obstetric complications that occur anytime between pregnancy and when the uterus returns to its normal size. Direct obstetric deaths include hemorrhage, sepsis, obstructed labor, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy or abortion. These deaths can result from interventions, omissions or incorrect treatment, among others.20
Obstetric deaths, indirect – Deaths caused by previously existing disease or diseases unrelated to pregnancy. Examples of indirect obstetric deaths include anemia, malaria, hepatitis and HIV/AIDS.
Obstructed Labor – This condition arises when labor fails to progress normally and the newborn doesn’t descend through the birth canal properly. Obstructed labor is responsible for 10 percent of maternal deaths among women aged 15–44 years in low-income countries.4 Small-statured and undernourished women are at highest risk for obstructed labor. Prolonged obstructed labor results in injuries to multiple organ systems.23
Population growth rate – The increase in a country’s population during a period of time, usually one year, expressed as a percentage of the population at the start of that period. It reflects the number of births and deaths during the period and the number of people migrating to and from a country.24 At a 4 percent growth rate, a country's population will double in 18 years; at a 1 percent growth rate, it will take 70 years.25 The Population Growth Rate for the world is 1.167.
Preeclampsia – A condition when pregnancy induces hypertension in the mother, causing high blood pressure, and poor kidney and liver function. Preeclampsia can lead to swelling of the hands and feet, and normally occurs in the latter half of pregnancy. The causes of preeclampsia are unknown but it may be due to poor nutrition, high body fat or poor blood flow to the uterus. Eclampsia occurs when pregnant women experience convulsions resulting from hypertension.
Rheumatic heart disease – Damaged heart valves resulting from rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever is provoked by strep throat.26 Rheumatic heart disease can eventually cause congestive heart failure, where the heart cannot pump out all of the blood and becomes enlarged.
Sense organ diseases – Diseases of the sense organs (e.g. eyes and ears). These include cataracts, vision disorders and hearing loss and affect 17.7 million women in low-income countries. Nearly 65 percent of affected women are in the oldest age category 45+ years.4 Many of these diseases occur prematurely and are preventable.
Sepsis – An infection, normally within bloodstream.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – Infections transmitted from one person to another during sexual intercourse and possibly other sexual activities. STIs include HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and human papillomavirus (HPV). It is important to note that some STIs can be acquired through non-sexual means, particularly through contact with blood from an infected person, e.g. from mother to child during pregnancy or birth, through the use of contaminated needles or through blood transfusions. The term ‘sexually transmitted infection’ is now used more often than ‘sexually transmitted disease’ because it includes HIV; after becoming infected with HIV, years often pass before a person develops HIV disease (AIDS).
The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health – A collaboration launched in September 2005 when the world’s three leading maternal, newborn and child health alliances joined forces under the new name of The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health. These organizations were: the Partnership for Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health, hosted by the World Health Organization in Geneva; the Healthy Newborn Partnership, based at Save the Children USA; and the Child Survival Partnership, hosted by UNICEF in New York.
Total fertility rate – The average number of live children born to a woman during her lifetime. In the United States, the average woman gives birth to two children in her lifetime; in Pakistan, the average woman gives birth to 4 children. A country with one of the highest total fertility rates is Timor-Leste, where the average woman bears 7 children during her lifetime.27
Tubal pregnancy – See ectopic pregnancy.
Tuberculosis (TB) – A disease caused by mycobacteria that usually attack a person’s lungs and respiratory tract – causing a chronic cough, severe weight loss, night sweats and progressive, irreversible lung damage.28 Poor people living in densely-populated, urban environments remain at great risk of TB disease and death, often due to overcrowded living conditions, exposure to smoke and air pollution, and inadequate nutrition and health care.29 In developing countries, TB typically kills those in their prime productive years, particularly in areas where new cases are on the rise. In African countries with high levels of HIV, women aged 15-24 comprise higher proportions of TB patients than young women in other regions.30
Undernutrition – The result of inadequate food intake and repeated infectious diseases. It includes being underweight for one’s age, too short for one’s age (stunting), dangerously thin for one’s height (wasting) and deficient in vitamins and minerals (micronutrient malnutrition).31 Maternal and child undernutrition – too few nutrients to sustain growth and development – contributes to 3.5 million deaths each year and is responsible for about 11 percent of the total global disease burden.18, 19 See also malnutrition.
Urethra – In women, the urethra carries urine from the bladder to a tiny opening to the outside of the body that lies in front of the vagina.
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