UNICEF Report Reveals Alarming Increase in Maternal Deaths Worldwide

UNICEF's recent study reveals an alarming increase in women dying from pregnancy and childbirth.

Maternal mortality continues to pose a serious threat to women worldwide, with a tragic statistic emerging that a woman loses her life every two minutes due to pregnancy or childbirth.

Shocking new data has highlighted major setbacks for maternal health, exposing disparities in healthcare access in various parts of the world.

UNICEF's Trends in Maternal Mortality report has shed light on this concerning trend, showing that maternal deaths have either increased or remained stagnant in almost all regions globally in recent years.

The alarming increase in maternal mortality

The latest report released by United Nations agencies tracks maternal deaths at national, regional, and global levels from 2000 to 2020.

According to NBC, the report estimates there were approximately 287,000 maternal deaths worldwide in 2020, marking only a slight decrease from 309,000 in 2016 when the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were implemented.

While the report highlights significant progress in reducing maternal deaths between 2000 and 2015, the gains largely stalled or even reversed after this point.

The maternal mortality rate increased in two of the eight UN regions, Caribbean, Latin America, Northern America, and Europe-by 17 percent and 15 percent, respectively, from 2016 to 2020. The rate remained stagnant in other regions.

However, some countries were able to decrease their maternal mortality rates successfully.

Countries in Central and Southern Asia, New Zealand, and Australia experienced significant declines of 35 percent and 16 percent, respectively, during the same period, as did 31 countries worldwide.

Maternal deaths continue to be concentrated in the world's poorest parts and countries affected by conflict. In 2020, approximately 70 percent of all maternal deaths will occur in sub-Saharan Africa.

Nine countries facing severe humanitarian crises had maternal mortality rates more than double the world average of 551 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to 223 globally.

The report highlights the urgent need to address the maternal mortality crisis and calls for increased investment in maternal health to prevent unnecessary deaths during pregnancy and childbirth.

Why are women dying from pregnancy and childbirth?

As reported by Bloomberg, severe bleeding, pregnancy-related infections, high blood pressure, complications from unsafe abortion, and underlying conditions such as malaria and HIV/AIDS are the leading causes of maternal deaths.

These causes are mostly preventable and treatable with access to high-quality healthcare.

However, progress is being threatened due to the underfunding of primary healthcare systems, a lack of trained healthcare workers, and weak supply chains for medical products.

Approximately one-third of women do not receive the recommended eight antenatal checks or essential postnatal care, while 270 million lack access to modern family planning methods.

Women must have control over their reproductive health, including decisions about if and when to have children, to ensure they can plan and space childbearing and protect their health.

As The New York Times reported, inequities related to income, education, race, or ethnicity further increase the risks for marginalized pregnant women, who have the least access to essential maternity care but are most likely to experience underlying health problems in pregnancy.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have further hindered progress on maternal health, which is why the current data series ended in 2020.

Reducing maternal mortality remains one of the most pressing global health challenges. Ensuring that every mother worldwide survives childbirth is a collective responsibility so that she and her children can thrive.