With only five years left until the 2015 deadline to achieve the Millenium Development Goals, a top UN official has said that one of the crucial goal number five may not be achieved unless all national governments work hard in reducing maternal mortality.

The goal number 5 is not going to be achieved by 2015 as the UN wanted the maternal mortality to be reduced considerably, said Dr Purnima Mane, Deputy Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

"For years, the status of women are not valued and the health of the mother is not given priority in the entire family structure and as a result, highest number of women die during pregnancy," Mane, who is also the Assistant Secretary General of United Nations, told PTI on the sidelines of the 70th convocation of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences here yesterday.

"Women can deliver children at home but they should get skilled birth attendant and if there are complications, they should be able to get an expert's assistance very close to her place," she said.

"Unless we work very hard, we may not be able to reach the 100 per cent goal," she said adding at least the aim should be to reach 75 per cent.

To ensure reduction of maternal mortality, India has started recently 'Janani Suraksha Yojana' to save pregnant mothers and even the African Union has declared a programme 'Karma'. .

On the second part of the Goal Number 5, Mane said even after so many years of having family planning programme in the country, there is still no access to multiple choice of family planning methods to millions.

"It is important to make the multiple choices of family planning available to women as it plays a crucial role in the reduction of maternal mortality. The fact that the two are connected should be understood and the role of men has to be emphasised here," Mane said.

She stressed that the programmes working on the Millennium Goal should make sure the involvement of men and sensitisation of adolescent males about the importance of family planning methods and their importance in having healthy mothers.

Healthy mothers are crucial for healthy homes which contributes healthy human resource to the nation, she said.

On India's responsibility on the goal, Mane said, "India is undergoing transformation and there is visible changes in governance. With the introduction of national I-card, the involvement of middlemen in several areas including getting ration card, birth, death and marriage certificates and other basic needs can be avoided by less previleged ones.