Worldwide, about 4.5 million mothers and babies die each year during pregnancy, childbirth or in the first weeks of life. UN agencies criticized on Tuesday that no progress had been made in the fight against these often preventable deaths due to declining investments over the past eight years.
According to a United Nations report, the numbers have stagnated since 2015 at about 2.3 million dead newborns, 1.9 million stillbirths and about 290,000 deceased mothers per year. WHO expert Anshu Banerjee called these death rates "unacceptable." "If we want different outcomes, we have to act differently," she said.
The WHO, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) called for affordable health care and more medical staff as the most important steps to ensure that more mothers and their children survive. In addition, access to medicines, clean water and electricity must be guaranteed.
Only a tenth of the countries have enough money
According to the report, the coronavirus pandemic, rising poverty and humanitarian crises have increased the pressure on health systems in recent years. Out of 100 countries surveyed, only one-tenth have enough money to implement their maternal and newborn health plans, the report said. The supply is particularly poor in conflict states and in parts of Africa and Asia. Sub-Saharan countries and South Asia have maternal and newborn mortality rates highest, according to the report.
The UN agencies also stressed that the health of mothers and their babies can only be improved by combating prejudice and injustice against women. Worldwide, only about 60 percent of all adolescent girls and women are free to decide about their sexuality and health, it said.