The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that in every two minutes, a woman dies due to pregnancy and childbirth complications.
A report released on March 7 stated that there were 287,000 maternal deaths in 2020 worldwide.
“In 2020, there were an estimated 287,000 maternal deaths in total—equivalent to one death every two minutes,” part of the report reads.
The report states that excessive bleeding (haemorrhage) is the leading cause of maternal deaths, with 27 per ent of cases, while preeclampsia and other high blood pressure-related complications contribute to 16 per cent.
It also stated that hemorrhages were responsible for around 80,000 fatalities and 50,000 are caused by hypertensive in 2020.
Preeclampsia is a serious condition that causes high blood pressure during pregnancy. If not treated, it can lead to severe bleeding, strokes, organ failure, and seizures.
WHO identifies severe bleeding and high blood pressure disorders like preeclampsia as the main causes of maternal deaths, responsible for almost half of all cases.
Other causes include severe infections (sepsis), blood clots (embolism), complications from unsafe abortions, and pre-existing conditions like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and diabetes. Many of these deaths happen due to poor healthcare services.
Dr. Pascale Allotey, WHO’s Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, stressed the importance of understanding why these deaths occur.
“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,” said Allotey.
She emphasized that all women need access to high-quality medical care before, during, and after childbirth.
WHO also listed other causes of maternal deaths, including infections (sepsis), blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolism), and complications from miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and unsafe abortions.
