Report Ranks Nations for Mothers

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Africa is the worst continent in which to be a mother or child, and Mali is one of the worst countries, where one in eight children will die before seeing a first birthday, a study published Tuesday said.

The “State of the World’s Mothers 2005,” a report by Save the Children USA, studied 110 countries and detailed health and educational opportunities for mothers and children.

“Conditions for children and mothers in the bottom-ranked countries are devastating,” said Charles MacCormack, president of Save the Children. “Many children are fortunate just to survive the first five years of life and have a chance to go to school.”

In Burkina Faso, fewer than one in 10 women can read and write. Just 25% of Ethiopians have access to clean water.

Scandinavian countries sweep the top rankings for the best places to be a mother, while countries in sub-Saharan Africa dominate the bottom tier, the report said. Of the 10 worst countries in which to be a mother or child, seven are in Africa.

In Sweden, which tops the list, nearly all women are literate. In Ethiopia, only 34% are. A mother in Ethiopia is 37 times more likely to see her child die in the first year of life than a mother in Sweden.

The U.S. ranked 11th.

Save the Children argues that education, family planning and trained birth attendants are key to child survival and well-being.