World Health Day: UN Warns Aid Cuts May Undermine Progress On Maternal Deaths

World Health Day: UN Warns Aid Cuts May Undermine Progress On Maternal Deaths

The United Nations has issued a warning that recent reductions in global health aid could negate decades of advances in reducing maternal mortality rates. Despite a new report indicating a decrease in maternal deaths since the early 2000s, the UN cautions that progress is at risk.

In a report released in conjunction with World Health Day, the UN revealed that global maternal deaths fell by 40% between 2000 and 2023, primarily due to better access to essential health services. However, progress has significantly slowed since 2016, with approximately 260,000 women dying from pregnancy-related complications in 2023—roughly one death every two minutes.

The report, titled “Trends in Maternal Mortality,” was published collaboratively by the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, UNFPA, and the World Bank.

Concerns about severe funding cuts are prompting some countries to reduce essential services for pregnant women, newborns, and children. “While this report presents some hopeful developments, it also underscores the continued dangers of pregnancy for many women worldwide, even when viable solutions exist to prevent the complications that lead to most maternal deaths,” stated WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus.

He emphasized the importance of ensuring access to quality maternity care while strengthening women’s and girls’ health and reproductive rights, which are vital for improving pregnancy outcomes.

The report also provides the first global assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on maternal health, revealing that in 2021, there were an estimated 40,000 additional maternal deaths due to pregnancy or childbirth, resulting in a total of 322,000 deaths—up from 282,000 in the previous year. This increase was attributed to both direct complications from COVID-19 and significant disruptions in maternity services.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell commented on the implications of maternal deaths, stating, “When a mother dies during pregnancy or childbirth, her baby’s life is also jeopardized. Tragically, both are often lost to preventable causes.”

Russell further remarked that global funding cuts to health services are putting more pregnant women at risk, particularly in fragile environments, by restricting their access to necessary care during pregnancy and labor. “Immediate investments in midwives, nurses, and community health workers are crucial to ensure that every mother and child has the opportunity to survive and thrive,” she asserted.

The report highlights persistent disparities among regions and countries, as well as uneven progress. Between 2000 and 2023, maternal mortality rates declined approximately 40%, with sub-Saharan Africa making significant strides. However, the region still accounted for about 70% of global maternal deaths in 2023.

Progress has stagnated in five regions since 2015: Northern Africa and Western Asia, Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, Oceanic regions (excluding Australia and New Zealand), Europe and North America, as well as Latin America and the Caribbean.

UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem underscored that access to quality maternal health services is a fundamental right. “It is our collective responsibility to establish well-resourced health systems that protect the lives of all pregnant women and newborns,” she stated. She advocated for enhanced supply chains, a strengthened midwifery workforce, and improved data collection to address the factors contributing to maternal deaths.

The report highlights that pregnant women in humanitarian crises face some of the highest risks globally. Kanem pointed out that nearly two-thirds of global maternal deaths now occur in countries affected by conflict or instability. For instance, a 15-year-old girl in these settings faces a one in 51 risk of dying due to maternal causes, compared to one in 593 in more stable nations, with Chad, the Central African Republic, Nigeria, Somalia, and Afghanistan among the countries with the highest risks.

Additionally, the report emphasizes the need for comprehensive prenatal, childbirth, and postnatal care, as well as access to family planning services and treatment for underlying conditions like anemia, malaria, and noncommunicable diseases that elevate risks during pregnancy. Ensuring that girls remain in school and equipping women and girls with the knowledge and resources to protect their health is also critical.

The world is currently off track to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal for maternal survival. Achieving the target requires reducing the global maternal mortality ratio by approximately 15% annually, a significant increase from the current rate of decline of about 1.5%.

World Health Day, observed annually on April 7, focuses this year on the theme “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures,” advocating for enhanced efforts to prevent maternal and newborn deaths and prioritize women’s long-term health and well-being.

The report arrives amidst significant humanitarian funding cuts that are severely impacting essential healthcare services, compelling many countries to curtail vital maternal, newborn, and child health services. These reductions have led to the closure of facilities, a loss of healthcare personnel, and disruptions in supply chains for critical medical supplies and treatments, exacerbating the risks of maternal mortality. Without immediate intervention, many pregnant women, particularly those in vulnerable settings, will face dire consequences.