UNICEF's latest Progress for Children report highlights the risk of maternal mortality in the developing world. Here is one in a series of related stories. KWA ZULU NATAL, South Africa, 19 September 2008 The province of Kwa Zulu Natal has become synonymous with South Africas AIDS epidemic. The infection rates here are some of the highest in the country, and the provinces pregnant women are at risk. Over a third of pregnant women are infected, making them and their unborn babies the most vulnerable. Maternal mortality rates of between 10 and 15 per cent within two years of delivery among HIV-infected women have been reported. Meanwhile, the rate of mother-to-child transmission of the virus, in the absence of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, remains unacceptably high. Apart from fighting the virus, women here also have to fight the stigma. There are people that think, if youve got HIV its like youre going to die, and if youre pregnant and youve got HIV, your baby is not going to make it at the end, said Thabisile Dhlamini, age 27, who deals with the stigma daily. To read the full story, visit: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/southafrica_45698.html