In recognition of the upcoming Mother's Day holiday, the nonprofit Save the Children organization has released a first-of-its-kind report on the health and well-being of mothers in 106 nations around the world, ranking each country in terms overall wealth versus maternal support being provided.

The "State of the World's Mothers 2000" report indicates the United States -- the world's wealthiest nation -- could do much more to help mothers and infants.

The report, funded in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, shows the U.S. ranked 15th overall in terms of providing care for mothers and children.

By contrast, Costa Rica -- which ranked 35th in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) -- was 12th in the world in terms of maternal support.

Save the Children studied a number of factors to determine its "mother's index," including live-birth rates, access to medical facilities, availability of family planning information and contraceptive devices, education and literacy rates, and even the percentage of women in high government positions.

Norway ranked first in the survey, with Australia, Canada and Switzerland close behind. But the U.S. is not alone when it comes to wealthy countries not providing proportional support. Kuwait, third in terms of GDP, ranks 50th in motherly hospice. That disparity could be attributed to cultural differences, the agency reports.

The charity stated that in most cases, mother well-being is neglected due to poverty.

Full text of the article is currently found at:
http://www.savethechildren.org/press/
pr00_mothersday2.html