-UN Agencies WarnBy Alfred Koroma
The unprecedented reduction in international aid threatens to reverse decades of global progress in reducing maternal deaths, three United Nations agencies warned on Monday, the World Health Day.
The new Trends in Maternal Mortality report, jointly released by UNICEF, WHO, and UNFPA reveals that while maternal deaths declined globally by 40% between 2000 and 2023, progress has slowed significantly since 2016. In 2023 alone, an estimated 260,000 women died from pregnancy or childbirth-related complications, roughly one death every two minutes.
“In much of the world, pregnancy remains dangerously unsafe, despite the fact that we have the tools and knowledge to prevent most maternal deaths,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “It’s critical that we protect and expand access to quality maternal healthcare.”
For Sierra Leone, where maternal mortality rate remains among the highest in the world, this news is deeply concerning. The country has made gradual improvements in maternal health through international support and initiatives like the Free Healthcare project for pregnant women and children. But aid cuts now threaten to roll back those hard-won gains.
Many pregnant women still face limited access to skilled birth attendants, essential drugs, and emergency obstetric care, especially in the rural areas of the country.
The UN report emphasizes that sub-Saharan Africa continues to carry the highest burden, accounting for nearly 70% of maternal deaths worldwide.
The report also provides a comprehensive look at the impact of COVID-19 on maternal health, with maternal deaths spiking to 322,000 globally in 2023 due to disruptions in healthcare access.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell stressed the urgency of investing in midwives, nurses, and community health workers to prevent avoidable maternal and infant deaths.
“When a mother dies, her baby’s life is also in jeopardy. These deaths are often preventable with the right care,” she is quoted saying in a UN News report.
The report notes that nearly two-thirds of all maternal deaths now occur in countries affected by conflict or humanitarian emergencies.
UNFPA Executive Director, Dr. Natalia Kanem said maternal health is a right, not a privilege, calling for urgent efforts to strengthen health systems, invest in data to identify the most at-risk women, and ensure access to reproductive health services and education.
“To end preventable maternal deaths, we must build well-resourced health systems and invest in supply chains, midwifery, and data collection to identify those most at risk,” she said.
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