Can You Guess Where Maternal Mortality is Most Severe?

A report released by the WHO and UNICEF has revealed that in 2023, Nigeria (75,000), India (19,000), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (19,000), and Pakistan (11,000) recorded the highest number of maternal deaths, collectively accounting for 47% of the global total. In comparison, China reported 1,400 maternal deaths during the same year. India recorded 80 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, while China reported 16 per 100,000.

Globally, maternal deaths declined by 40% between 2000 and 2023. The report highlighted that factors such as education, gender, ethnicity, and income continue to limit women’s access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services. It also emphasized the need for coordinated action at global, national, regional, and community levels to achieve a 15% annual reduction in the global maternal mortality rate, in line with the Sustainable Development Goal of…