PRIME II’s Safe Motherhood projects showed that when pregnant women and their caregivers understand the birth process and can recognize and manage life-threatening complications, their knowledge and skills help to reduce the risk of maternal morbidity and mortality. In Nicaragua and Guinea, PRIME collaborated with NGO networks to help improve access to maternal and newborn services, working with local organizations to educate pregnant women, their families and communities about recognizing and responding to danger signs. PRIME II also worked with local governments to improve the quality of care for obstetric and neonatal emergencies by training traditional birth attendants and other primary providers in appropriate life-saving skills. In India, home-based life-saving skills were the focus of PRIME’s Community Partnerships for Safe Motherhood project, which built community partnerships that trained health guides, volunteers and village health committees in Uttar Pradesh.