Survey on Tremendous Increase in Maternal Mortality Rate Over the Past 20 Years

Maternal mortality, which refers to the death of women during or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is a critical indicator of women’s reproductive health in a given region. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines maternal death as any female death linked to pregnancy or its management, excluding accidental or incidental causes. The duration and site of the pregnancy are not considered.

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) identifies severe bleeding, infections, high blood pressure during pregnancy, anaemia, complications during childbirth, and unsafe abortions as the primary causes of maternal mortality. While these complications can often be mitigated through appropriate medical care, many women face barriers to accessing such care due to a complex interplay of social, cultural, and medical factors.

In a recent report involving multiple agencies, including the United Nations (UN) and WHO, it was disclosed that one woman loses her life every two minutes due to childbirth or pregnancy-related causes. The report titled “Trends in maternal mortality” shows worrying declines in women’s health in recent years, with maternal deaths either remaining unchanged or increasing in almost every region worldwide. The latest findings from the report indicate that maternal health has significantly regressed in several regions, emphasizing the stark inequality in healthcare accessibility.

In addition, 185 countries and regions were analyzed in the report to estimate maternal mortality between 2000 and 2020. The analysis indicates that progress has been made as the number of deaths due to pregnancy dropped significantly from 446,000 in 2000 to 287,000 in 2020. The majority of countries and regions experienced a decrease in their maternal mortality ratio over the past two decades. In 2020, 223 mothers lost their lives for every 100,000 babies born, representing a 33% reduction in the maternal mortality ratio since 2000.

However, this figure still falls far short of the target of 70 deaths per 100,000 births that countries committed to achieving by 2030 under the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The data for 2020 also highlights notable geographic disparities in maternal deaths, with 70% of such deaths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. In Chad, Nigeria, and South Sudan, where the situation is most dire, at least one woman dies for every 100 babies born.

Maternal mortality rates in nine countries experiencing severe humanitarian crises were more than twice the global average, with 551 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to the global average of 223. The report concluded by stating that the world must significantly accelerate progress to meet global targets for reducing maternal deaths by 2030 or risk the lives of over 1 million more women.

Through this survey, Real Research aims to seek public opinion on the maternal mortality rate (MMR) and find out what people think is the root cause behind this rapidly increasing rate. Hence, hurry and answer the ‘Survey on Maternal Mortality Rates Increasing by 75% in the Past 20 Years’ on the Real Research app from March 03, 2023, and receive 70 TNCs as a reward.