Johannesburg - Every day 1,500 women die of avoidable complications in pregnancy in childbirth, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a report released Thursday.

The overall figure stood at 10 million women since 1990, with women in Africa south of the Sahara and south Asia most at risk, the report titled The State of the World's Children 2009 said.

Women in these regions were 300 times more likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth than in developed countries.

In no other area of healthcare was the gap between rich and poor as wide, UNICEF said.

Moreover, 4 million babies do not survive beyond 28 days after birth.

Maternal and infant mortality figures had to be reduced by around 70 per cent by 2015 to reach the so-called UN Millennium Goals, UNICEF officials said at the launch of the report in the South African city of Johannesburg.

Girls between 15 and 19 account for around 70,000 of the 500,000 deaths a year of childbirth complications worldwide, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M Veneman told journalists.

"This is not only a tragic personal loss for the family, it also leaves a long-term impact on the health and well-being of children and the development of communities and countries," Veneman said.

She added that most maternal and neo-natal deaths could be prevented through proven interventions, such as adequate nutrition, antenatal care, skilled health workers at births, emergency obstetric and newborn care and post-natal visits for mothers and babies. (dpa)