The United Nations has raised serious concerns that recent global health funding cuts are jeopardizing decades of progress in reducing maternal deaths, even as new data shows significant improvements since the early 2000s.
In a report released on Sunday to mark World Health Day, the UN revealed that maternal mortality has declined by 40% globally between 2000 and 2023, largely due to better access to essential health services. However, progress has slowed considerably since 2016, with an estimated 260,000 women still dying from pregnancy-related causes in 2023—roughly one every two minutes.
The report, “Trends in Maternal Mortality,” was jointly published by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, UNFPA, and the World Bank, and highlights how funding reductions are already forcing some countries to scale back critical services for pregnant women, newborns, and children.
“This report offers hope, but also a stark reminder that pregnancy remains dangerous in many parts of the world—even though the majority of maternal deaths are preventable,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus.
“Strengthening access to quality maternity care and supporting women’s overall health and reproductive rights is vital.”
The report includes the first comprehensive assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on maternal health. In 2021, an additional 40,000 maternal deaths were recorded globally, bringing the total to 322,000, compared to 282,000 in 2020. The spike was attributed to both direct complications from the virus and widespread disruptions in maternal health services.
“When a mother dies, her baby’s survival is also at risk. Often, both lives are lost to preventable causes,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
“Slashing global health funding is putting pregnant women in fragile settings at even greater risk. We must urgently invest in midwives, nurses, and community health workers to protect both mothers and babies.”
The report also highlighted persistent disparities in maternal health across regions. Sub-Saharan Africa achieved notable progress, with a significant drop in mortality since 2000, but still accounted for nearly 70% of maternal deaths in 2023, due to ongoing poverty and conflict.
In contrast, maternal mortality rates have stagnated in five regions since 2015, including North Africa and Western Asia, Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand), Europe and North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
“Access to maternal health care is a fundamental right, not a privilege,” said UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem.
“We must invest in stronger health systems, trained midwives, better data, and resilient supply chains to stop preventable maternal deaths.”
The report underscores the heightened risk for pregnant women in conflict and crisis zones. Nearly two-thirds of all maternal deaths now occur in fragile or conflict-affected countries, where a 15-year-old girl faces a 1-in-51 chance of dying from maternal causes in her lifetime—compared to 1-in-593 in more stable nations.
The highest maternal mortality risks are in Chad (1 in 24), Central African Republic (1 in 24), Nigeria (1 in 25), Somalia (1 in 30), and Afghanistan (1 in 40).
Beyond immediate maternity care, the report calls for broader investments in women’s health, including access to family planning, and treatment for conditions like anaemia, malaria, and non-communicable diseases, all of which increase pregnancy-related risks. It also stresses the importance of keeping girls in school and empowering women with knowledge and resources to make informed health decisions.
Without urgent action, the UN warns, the world will miss its Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of significantly reducing maternal deaths by 2030. The current annual decline rate of 1.5% must jump to 15% to meet the goal.
This year’s World Health Day, observed annually on April 7, is themed “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures.” The campaign calls on governments and the global health community to prioritize maternal and newborn health, scale up support for long-term care, and safeguard essential services—especially in regions hardest hit by conflict and aid shortfalls.
Without immediate investment, the report warns, pregnant women—particularly in fragile settings—will continue to face dire outcomes, as health facilities close, supply chains break down, and health worker shortages persist.
