A recently published data claims that maternal deaths have registered a slip by an average of 35 per cent worldwide from nearly half a million a year in 1980 to less than 350,000 in 2008.

Amidst countries such as China making significant progress, there have been surprising increases in others, including the United States, Canada and Norway, reveal researchers.

"These findings are very encouraging and quite surprising. There are still too many mothers dying worldwide, but now we have a greater reason for optimism than has generally been perceived", said Dr. Christopher Murray of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, who led the study.

The researchers on Monday posted that their findings which depict that it is possible to save women's lives if countries themselves lend a helping hand, and said their analysis should point to ways to do so.

The United States witnessed the rate slip from 12 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1980 touching 17 in 2008.

While, in Canada, the rate hovered between 6 and 7 for the entire period with Norway's registering from 7 per 100,000 in 1980 to 8 per 100,000 in 2008.