Improved outcomes for women and children- more education, lower fertility rates, higher nutritionalstatus, and lower incidence of illness, among other outcomes- have broad individual, family, and societal benefits. Fornearly 15 years, the targets of the millennium developmentgoals (MDGs) have been a bellwether for progress,particularly for maternal and child health (MCH) - atwo-thirds reduction in under-five mortality in MDG 4 and athree-quarters reduction in the maternal mortality ratio inMDG 5. This systematic review by the Independent EvaluationGroup (IEG) is a learning exercise that looks beyond WorldBank experience. It is intended to be used a reference forpractitioners in the Bank and elsewhere with an interest ininterventions that have demonstrated attributableimprovements in skilled birth attendance and reductions inmaternal and child mortality. This review also identifiesimportant gaps in the impact evaluation evidence forinterventions that may be effective in reducing maternal andchild mortality but whose impacts have not yet been testedusing robust impact evaluation methods. The systematicreview provides findings on what is known about the effectsof interventions on skilled birth attendance, maternalmortality, neonatal mortality, infant mortality, andunder-five mortality, as well as the effect of skilled birthattendance on these and other intermediate MCH outcomes.Finally, the review highlights the main gaps in the body ofimpact evaluation knowledge for maternal and child mortality.
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