Switzerland: The latest data published by the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that one woman dies every two minutes during pregnancy or childbirth, with too few countries in the world managing to substantially reduce maternal death rates since 2016.
According to the WHO report, Trends in Maternal Mortality, while there was significant progress in reducing maternal deaths between 2000 and 2015, those gains stalled or were even reversed in the five years to 2020.
“While pregnancy should be a time of immense hope and a positive experience for all women, it is tragically still a shockingly dangerous experience for millions around the world who lack access to high-quality, respectful health care,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus shared in a statement.
“These new statistics reveal the urgent need to ensure every woman and girl has access to critical health services before, during, and after childbirth and that they can fully exercise their reproductive rights,” the Director-General added.
The study, which analysed maternal deaths nationally, regionally, and globally from 2000 to 2020, found that in two of the eight United Nations regions, Europe and Northern America, and Latin America and the Caribbean, the maternal mortality rate increased from 2016 to 2020, by 17 percent and 15 percent, respectively. Elsewhere, the rate stagnated.
Two regions, Australia and New Zealand, did make progress, where the maternal death rate dropped by 35 percent, while in Southern Asia it fell by 16 percent.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell observed that “for millions of families, the miracle of childbirth is marred by the tragedy of maternal deaths. No mother should have to fear for her life while bringing a baby into the world, especially when the knowledge and tools to treat common complications exist. Equity in healthcare gives every mother, no matter who they are or where they are, a fair chance at a safe delivery and a healthy future with their family.”
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