By Edward Williams
Ho, March 17, GNA – The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified severe heavy bleeding known as haemorrhage, and hypertensive disorders like preeclampsia as the leading causes of maternal deaths globally.
The conditions were responsible for around 80,000 and 50,000 fatalities respectively in 2020 which was the last year for which published estimates are available.
It highlighted that many women still lacked access to lifesaving treatments and effective care during and after pregnancy and birth.
Published in the Lancet Global Health, the study is WHO’s first global update on the causes of maternal deaths since the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals were adopted in 2015.
In addition to outlining the major direct obstetric causes, it showed that other health conditions, including both infectious and chronic diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, anaemia, and diabetes, underpinned nearly a quarter of pregnancy and childbirth-related mortality, representing 23 per cent.
The conditions, which often go undetected or untreated until major complications occur, exacerbate risk and complicate pregnancies for millions of women around the world.
Dr Pascale Allotey, Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research at WHO as well as the UN’s Special Programme on Human Reproduction (HRP), said understanding why pregnant women and mothers were dying was critical for tackling the world’s lingering maternal mortality crisis and ensuring women have the best possible chances of surviving childbirth.
“This is also a massive equity issue globally. Women everywhere need high quality, evidence-based health care before, during and after delivery, as well as efforts to prevent and treat other underlying conditions that jeopardize their health.
In 2020, there were an estimated 287,000 maternal deaths in total which is equivalent to one death every two minutes.”
The study revealed that haemorrhage mostly occurring during or following childbirth was responsible for nearly a third of maternal mortality, which is 27 per cent with preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders contributing to an additional 16 per cent.
Preeclampsia is a serious condition characterized by high blood pressure that can lead to haemorrhage, strokes, organ failures and seizures if left untreated or treated too late.
Other direct causes include sepsis and infections; pulmonary embolism; complications from spontaneous and induced abortions, including miscarriage, ectopic pregnancies and issues relating to unsafe abortions and anaesthetic complications and injuries that occur during childbirth.
The findings highlight the need to strengthen key aspects of maternity care, including antenatal services that detect risks early in pregnancy and prevent severe complications; lifesaving obstetrics that can manage critical birth-related emergencies like haemorrhage or embolism and postnatal care.
Most maternal deaths occur during or shortly after childbirth, making it a critical window to save lives.
However, around a third of women primarily in lower income countries still do not receive essential postnatal checks in the first days after birth.
At a population level, broader preventive interventions could help reduce the prevalence of underlying health conditions like non-communicable diseases and malnutrition that increase women’s risks.
Dr Jenny Cresswell, Scientist at WHO, and an author of the paper said often not just one, but many interrelated factors contributed to a woman dying during or after pregnancy, adding that preeclampsia for instance could significantly increase the likelihood of haemorrhage as well as other complications that may occur even long after childbirth.
“A more holistic approach to maternal health has been proven to give women the best chance of a healthy pregnancy and birth, and of enjoying lasting quality of life after delivery – health systems need to be able to support them across different life stages.”
New estimates for the total numbers of maternal deaths, including global, regional and country-level data will be published in April 2025, covering the period 2000 to 2023.
GNA
MA/CA