Every 2 min a woman died from pregnancy and childbirth in 2023 globally: UN

IANS April 7, 2025 296 views

The UN's latest report reveals a stark global health crisis where approximately 700 women die daily from preventable pregnancy-related complications. Despite a 40% decline in maternal mortality since 2000, progress has significantly slowed in recent years. Low and lower-middle-income countries bear the brunt of these preventable deaths, with the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbating the challenge. The report urgently calls for improved healthcare access, reproductive rights, and comprehensive maternal care to prevent these tragic losses.

"While this report shows glimmers of hope, the data also highlights how dangerous pregnancy still is in much of the world today" - Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
Every 2 min a woman died from pregnancy and childbirth in 2023 globally: UN
New Delhi, April 7: A woman died almost every two minutes, or more than 700 women died daily from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth in 2023, according to data from the UN and World Health Organization on World Health Day on Monday.

Key Points

1

260,000 women died from pregnancy complications in 2023

2

Over 90% of maternal deaths occurred in low-income countries

3

COVID-19 pandemic increased maternal mortality by 40,000 additional deaths

4

Global maternal mortality ratio declined 40% since 2000

World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 every year. The theme this year Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures, urges governments and the health community to ramp up efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths and to prioritise women’s longer-term health and well-being.

The report titled Trends in maternal mortality shows a 40 per cent global decline in maternal mortality ratio (MMR, number of maternal deaths per 100 000 live births) between 2000 and 2023.

It showed that since 2016, the pace of improvement slowed down significantly, and that an estimated 260,000 women died in 2023 due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth.

More than 90 per cent of all maternal deaths occurred in low and lower-middle-income countries in 2023, said the report.

“While this report shows glimmers of hope, the data also highlights how dangerous pregnancy still is in much of the world today despite the fact that solutions exist to prevent and treat the complications that cause the vast majority of maternal deaths,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO.

“In addition to ensuring access to quality maternity care, it will be critical to strengthen the underlying health and reproductive rights of women and girls – factors that underpin their prospects of healthy outcomes during pregnancy and beyond.”

Further, the report also provides the first global account of the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on maternal survival.

In 2021, an estimated 40,000 more women died due to pregnancy or childbirth -- increasing to 322,000 from 282,000 in 2020.

Besides the direct complications caused by Covid infection, the deaths were also due to widespread interruptions to maternity services, the report said.

“This highlights the importance of ensuring such care during pandemics and other emergencies, noting that pregnant women need reliable access to routine services and checks as well as round-the-clock urgent care,” said the report.

Reader Comments

S
Sarah K.
This is heartbreaking 💔 We have all this medical advancement yet women are still dying from preventable causes. Governments need to prioritize maternal healthcare NOW.
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Michael T.
The COVID impact numbers are shocking. Shows how fragile healthcare systems are in many countries. We can't let emergencies derail basic care like this.
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Aisha R.
As someone who works in maternal health in Nigeria, these numbers don't surprise me. We need more funding AND better distribution of resources. The solutions exist but aren't reaching everyone equally.
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James L.
While the article highlights important issues, I wish it gave more concrete examples of successful programs that have reduced maternal mortality. That would help show what actually works.
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Priya M.
The 40% decline since 2000 shows progress is possible! Let's focus on accelerating these improvements. Every mother's life matters ❤️
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Thomas W.
These statistics should be a wake-up call for global health organizations. Maybe we need to rethink how aid is distributed to make the biggest impact where it's needed most.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Tags:
Maternal Mortality UN Report World Health Day Women's Health Global Health Dr. Tedros WHO
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