Striving for Safer Motherhood: The Global Challenge of Maternal Mortality

In 2023, maternal mortality was notably high in countries such as India, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. Despite progress, global maternal deaths remain unevenly distributed and below Sustainable Development Goals. Addressing disparities requires improved healthcare access, with a renewed focus on reducing maternal mortality particularly in high-burden regions.

In recent findings published in The Lancet Obstetrics, India was identified as having one of the highest maternal mortality rates in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, with 24,700 deaths in 2023.

Leading researchers, including those from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, highlighted that although there has been progress in reducing maternal deaths over the past three decades, the pace has significantly slowed causing disparities globally.

Efforts to improve antenatal care and emergency obstetric services are deemed crucial in meeting global targets, with India showcasing significant improvements, but more work is needed as countries strive to meet the Sustainable Development Goal of reducing maternal mortality to below 70 per one lakh live births by 2030.