At least 78,000 women die every year in India during pregnancy and childbirth, according to a report released by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Thursday.

"This means on an average, every seven minutes, one woman dies from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth," UNICEF said in a press release.

Most of these deaths occur in a handful of Indian states - Uttar Pradesh
, Uttaranchal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Assam, according to the agency's State of the World's Children report 2009.

At least 450 of every 100,000 women died of pregnancy-related causes in India in 2005, while the neonatal mortality rate was 39 per 1,000 live births in 2004.

While both figures represented a reduction in rates over previous years, faster progress in India was critical to improving maternal and newborn health on a global scale, the report said.

India alone accounted for 22 per cent of global maternal mortality deaths estimated at 536,000 in 2005, the report added.

"We know what needs to be done to save the lives of the 78,000 women who die from pregnancy and childbirth each year in India. In addition, about 1 million neonatal deaths occur here annually," Karin Hulshof, UNICEF's India representative at the launch of the report in the Indian capital.

"Primary health care that embraces every stage of maternal, newborn and child health must be made available to all of India's most vulnerable women and children so that they can survive and thrive," Hulshof said.

Syeda Saiyidain Hameed, a member of India's Planning Commission, said rapid progress was possible if sound strategies backed by political commitment, adequate resources and collaborative efforts were applied in support of mothers and newborns.