‘Shockingly dangerous’: WHO raises alarm on pregnancy risks

UN health agency says one woman dies every two minutes during pregnancy or childbirth mostly from treatable conditions. The World Health Organization says one woman dies every two minutes during pregnancy or childbirth, according to the latest data, with too few countries in the world managing to substantially reduce maternal death rates since 2016. “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 report, which tracks maternal deaths nationally, regionally and globally from 2000 to 2020, showed 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. 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.” Severe bleeding, high blood pressure, pregnancy-related infections, complications from unsafe abortion, and underlying conditions that can be aggravated by pregnancy were the leading causes of maternal deaths, the report said, noting that such conditions were largely preventable and treatable. In 2020, about 70 percent of all maternal deaths were in southern parts of Africa, while in nine countries facing severe humanitarian crises, maternal mortality rates were more than double the world average.