The Philippines ranked 49th in a list of the best and worst less developed countries for mothers and tied with Suriname in Southern America, according to a study released this week by non-profit organization Save the Children. The Philippines was part of the list of 79 less developed countries and territories.
Overall, Norway was named the best country in the world to be a mother and Afghanistan the worst, reports BusinessWorld. The study covered 164 countries divided into three tiers: most developed (43), less developed (79) and least developed (42).
Using 2008 data, the study found that the lifetime risk of maternal death in the Philippines is one in 320 births, an improvement from the one in 140 risk in 2005, reports BusinessWorld. Women's life expectancy at birth is 75 years in 2010, up from 74 in 2009.
BusinessWorld reports that the percent of births attended by skilled health personnel remained at 62 percent while modern contraception use stayed at 36 percent.
