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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maternal death | 4/10 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maternal_death | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T07:30:33.740084+00:00 | kb-cron |
=== Trends === The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA; formerly known as the United Nations Fund for Population Activities) has established programs that support efforts in reducing maternal death. These efforts include education and training for midwives, supporting access to emergency services in obstetric and newborn care networks, and providing essential drugs and family planning services to pregnant women or those planning to become pregnant. They also support efforts for review and response systems regarding maternal deaths. According to the 2010 United Nations Population Fund report, low-resource nations account for ninety-nine percent of maternal deaths, with the majority of those deaths occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. Globally, high and middle-income countries experience lower maternal deaths than low-income countries. The Human Development Index (HDI) accounts for between 82 and 85 percent of the maternal mortality rates among countries. In most cases, high rates of maternal deaths occur in the same countries that have high rates of infant mortality. These trends reflect that higher-income countries have stronger healthcare infrastructure, more doctors, use more advanced medical technologies, and have fewer barriers to accessing care than low-income countries. In low-income countries, the most common cause of maternal death is obstetrical hemorrhage, followed by hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. This is in contrast to high-income countries, for which the most common cause is thromboembolism. Between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio decreased from 385 deaths per 100,000 live births to 216 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Some factors that have been attributed to the decreased maternal deaths seen between this period are in part to the access that women have gained to family planning services and skilled birth attendance, meaning a midwife, doctor, or trained nurse), with back-up obstetric care for emergencies that may occur during the process of labor. This can be examined further by looking at statistics in some areas of the world where inequities in access to health care services reflect an increased number of maternal deaths. The high maternal death rates also reflect disparate access to health services between resource communities and those that are high-resource or affluent. From 2000 to 2020, the global maternal mortality ratio declined 34.8%—from 342 to 223 deaths per 100,000 live births—since 2000; however, over 700 women still died each day from preventable pregnancy- or childbirth-related causes. According to the World Health Organization, in 2023, a maternal death occurred almost every two minutes. In 2023, just over 90 % of maternal deaths occurred in low- and lower-middle-income countries. The maternal mortality ratio in these countries was 346 per 100,000 live births, compared with 10 per 100,000 live births in high-income countries. In high-income settings, racial, ethnic, and income disparities continue to impact maternal outcomes.
== Prevention == According to UNFPA, there are four essential elements for preventing maternal death. These include prenatal care, assistance with birth, access to emergency obstetric care, and adequate postnatal care. It is recommended that expectant mothers receive at least four antenatal visits to check and monitor the health of the mother and fetus. Second, skilled birth attendance with emergency backup, such as doctors, nurses, and midwives who can manage normal deliveries and recognize the onset of complications. Third, emergency obstetric care to address the major causes of maternal death, which are hemorrhage, sepsis, unsafe abortion, hypertensive disorders, and obstructed labor. Lastly, postnatal care, which is the six weeks following delivery. During this time, bleeding, sepsis, and hypertensive disorders can occur, and newborns are extremely vulnerable in the immediate aftermath of birth. Therefore, follow-up visits by a health worker to assess the health of both mother and child in the postnatal period are strongly recommended. Additionally, reliable access to information, compassionate counseling, and quality services for the management of any issues that arise from abortions (whether safe or unsafe) can be beneficial in reducing the number of maternal deaths. In regions where abortion is legal, abortion practices need to be safe to reduce the number of maternal deaths related to abortion effectively. Maternal Death Surveillance and Response is another strategy that has been used to prevent maternal death. This is one of the interventions proposed to reduce maternal mortality, where maternal deaths are continuously reviewed to learn the causes and factors that led to the death. The information from the reviews is used to make recommendations for action to prevent future similar deaths. Maternal and perinatal death reviews have been in practice for a long time worldwide, and the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced the Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) with a guideline in 2013. Studies have shown that acting on MPDSR recommendations can reduce maternal and perinatal mortality by improving the quality of care in the community and health facilities. According to a 2023 systematic review published by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), "More than 60 percent of pregnancy-related deaths are considered preventable". The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a global goal to end preventable death related to maternal mortality. A major goal of this strategy is to identify and address the causes of maternal and reproductive morbidities and mortalities. This strategy aims to address inequalities in access to reproductive, maternal, and newborn services, as well as the quality of care, with universal health coverage. Maternal mortality is difficult to measure. Health information systems, such as the CRVS (Civil Registration and Vital Statistics), in most low-income countries are weak. Therefore, these systems cannot provide accurate assessments of maternal mortality. Even estimates derived from a complete system, such as the CRVs, suffer misclassification and underreporting of maternal death statistics. The WHO strategy also aims to ensure quality data collection to better respond to the needs of women and girls while improving the equity and quality of care provided to women.