Today is World Health Day. The focus for this year is on the mother and child, and the theme is 'Make Every Mother and Child Count.' In its annual World Health Report, the World Health Organisation says that more than half a million mothers die each year during pregnancy or hildbirth. The report says the deaths can easily be avoided and has urged developing countries to invest more in training for health staff and midwives. It also says more than three million babies are stillborn, while four million die within the first days or weeks of their lives. In China, various activities are held to mark World Health Day with the focus on the increasing number of Chinese women getting pregnant later in life. This is resulted from a number of factors but mainly fierce competition on the job market, especially in urban areas.

Yang Huixia is a doctor from Peking University's No. 1 Hospital. She says women who get pregnant over the age of 35 faces more risks than those under 30. "Women who get pregnant later in life will often be plagued by complications such as high blood pressure and diabetes during pregnancy and the ratio of abortion, premature delivery and low-weight babies is much higher than the average." Medical experts say childbirth is the key to China's sustainable development and women should choose the best time to get pregnant rather than delaying pregnancy.They also call for a social welfare system to protect pregnant women's rights and interets. World Health Day, which has been marked since 1950, aims to increase awareness about a specific health theme to which is a priority area of concern of the World Health Organisation.