Nairobi, April 22 -- We have the knowledge and resources to end preventable maternal mortality - today. So why are women still dying while giving birth?

Because for too many women, a safe birth still depends on a chain of simple, but life-or-death contingencies: whether a family can find transport to skilled care, whether a midwife is on duty, whether the clinic cupboards are stocked. If any links in this chain falter, the consequences can be catastrophic.

A woman named Mercy recently saw this first-hand: She travelled to a clinic in Zambia's capital, Lusaka. She experienced a routine labour and a safe delivery. She held her baby in her arms. And then, without warning, she began to bleed profusely.

That condition, post-partum haemorrha...