By: Henrietta Afful
A new study released by the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that haemorrhage (severe bleeding) and hypertensive disorders such as preeclampsia are the leading causes of maternal deaths worldwide. In 2020, these conditions were responsible for approximately 80,000 and 50,000 fatalities, respectively.
According to the findings, many women still lack access to essential lifesaving treatments and effective care during and after pregnancy and childbirth.
Published in The Lancet Global Health, the study marks WHO’s first global update on the causes of maternal deaths since the adoption of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in 2015.
In addition to highlighting the main direct obstetric causes, the study reveals that other health conditions, including infectious and chronic diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, anaemia, and diabetes, contribute to nearly a quarter (23%) of pregnancy- and childbirth-related deaths.
These conditions, frequently undiagnosed or left untreated until complications become severe, heighten risks and complicate pregnancies for millions of women globally.
“Understanding why pregnant women and mothers are dying is critical for tackling the world’s lingering maternal mortality crisis and ensuring women have the best possible chances of surviving childbirth,” the Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research at WHO as well as the UN’s Special Programme on Human Reproduction (HRP), Dr Pascale Allotey said.
“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” she added.
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, anesthetic complications and injuries that occur during childbirth.
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