Each year.

From childbirth related causes.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4227364.stm

Half a million, each year.

edit:
Not one in sixteen giving birth, that is one in sixteen of the population.
This just can't be right. That would put the female population of Africa at like 8 million women.

Maybe they should give birth less often. This wouldn't be the only problem that would solve.

Ya, their numbers are off somewhere.

The popluation of Africa is about 885 million. (http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/world_population.htm)

Unless, of course, only 1% of the population is female, in which case I reallllly feel sorry for the men there.

This just can't be right. That would put the female population of Africa at like 8 million women.They don't say 1 in 16 die <i>in one year</i> from child birth, they say 1 in 16 die from child birth in total. If you spread the numbers over ~30 child bearing years for each woman, they'll make more sense.