IN Canada, for the most part, the imminent arrival of a child is a time of joyful anticipation.… ... For much of the world, however, pregnancy and birth are a time of apprehension, stress and even fear. … In much of the world, pregnancy remains a life-threatening condition….

…The lifetime risk to a Canadian woman of dying from maternal complications, for example, is about one in 5,200. The lifetime risk to a woman in the United Republic of Tanzania, reports the WHO in its annual survey of global trends in maternal health, is one in 44. … On Sunday, Vancouver joins cities across the country for the 30th World Partnership Walk, an initiative of the Aga Khan Foundation Canada.… … Sunday’s walk in Stanley Park offers Vancouver residents a chance act locally while thinking globally. ... — (May 23)

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2014