This book gives an overview of the services and programs which provide mothers and their children with effective primary health care, particularly in developing countries. The book presents a point of view, or a practical philosophy, which is intended to guide health workers who organize and implement preventive and curative care for mothers and children. The public health philosophy espoused in the book is as timely now as when it was first published in 1972; mothers are the key to the success of maternal and child health services, and community resources should be harnessed so that health services and programs are tailor-made to the local setting. While the third edition follows closely the organization of the first two editions, the content has been revised to take into account changes in the social, ecological, and biological backgrounds of many developing countries. Charts, tables, and figures have also been updated and revised.