The International Herald Tribune of 15 April 2010 actually includes a positive headline: Sharp drop in maternal deaths is reported. Good to read good news on the front page, usually relegated to the back! So the number of women dying from pregnancy and childbirth worldwide is falling. Positive news indeed, even if “some advocates for women’s health tried to pressure The Lancet into delaying publication of the new findings, fearing that good news would detract from the urgency of their cause”… Apparently, those working on maternal health were concerned that reporting the declining number of deaths could take away from the problem. Not to be deterred, the journal’s editor commented: “My view is that actually these numbers help their cause, not hinder it.”