In Bangladesh -- where more women die from birth-related deaths than anywhere else in the world -- a special campaign is underway to alert people to the dangers that can arise from pregnancy.

To raise awareness, today has been declared Safe Motherhood Day.

Experts say thousands of Bangladeshi women die or are disabled during pregnancy or childbirth because of poor health, inadequate diet, physical immaturity, unsafe abortions or lack of medical checks.

The government says it is committed to halving maternal deaths by the year 2000 but the BBC Dhaka correspondent it looks unlikely it'll meet its target.