Over a half million women die each year due to complications during pregnancy and child birth. The vast majority of these deaths are preventable. Despite longstanding international commitments in reducing maternal mortality, progress to date has been disappointing. This research aims to explore the rates of maternal deaths in Nineveh and their causes in order to guide the design and implementation of maternal mortality policies and programs, and to prioritize measures that promote universal access to high quality emergency obstetric care services to save women's lives. With that priority, human rights principles can be integrated into programs at the clinical, facility management, and national policy levels.