The World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that Africa continues to bear a disproportionate burden of global maternal deaths, accounting for 70 per cent despite a significant reduction in mortality rates over the past two decades.
According to a new report, maternal mortality in the African region has dropped by 40 per cent—from 727 to 442 deaths per 100,000 live births between 2000 and 2023. However, the region still records approximately 178,000 maternal deaths and one million newborn deaths annually, mostly from preventable causes.
WHO noted that while progress has been made, the current pace of decline is insufficient to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of fewer than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030. The region would need to increase its annual reduction rate 12-fold to meet this goal.
At the current reduction rate of 2.2 per cent annually, WHO projects that Africa will still have nearly 350 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030—five times the SDG target.
The report also highlights modest progress in stillbirth and neonatal mortality, with rates declining by 30 per cent and 33 per cent respectively between 2000 and 2023. WHO is calling for urgent and intensified efforts to scale up maternal and newborn health interventions across the region.
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