This is a good explanation what maternal morbidity is and why it’s such a huge issue from Maternova’s blog.  For every woman who dies 20-30 suffer maternal morbidities.  Read on:

Maternal morbidities can be acute or chronic and include mental health issues, infertility, anemia, fistula, infections, uterine rupture and scarring, and genital or uterine prolapse. Clinical terms like ‘morbidity’ and ‘fistula’ are another way of saying ‘a lifetime marred by suffering and stigma’ in the case of postpartum depression, psychosis or obstetric fistula. These conditions frequently stem from obstructed labor and they impact a woman’s ability to care for herself and her family. Often, maternal morbidities also result in financial hardship, stigma, social isolation, divorce and domestic abuse. And because women play a key role in care giving, food production and other economic activities, it is estimated that maternal morbidity costs the global economy $6.8 billion annually.