Aid cuts threaten to roll back progress in ending maternal deaths

ONU - 07/04
Unprecedented aid cuts are putting hard-won global progress in ending maternal deaths at risk, three UN agencies warned in a new report that calls for greater investment in midwives and other health workers.

The Trends in maternal mortality report was published by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN sexual and reproductive health agency UNFPA, in observance of World Health Day on 7 April.

It shows that maternal deaths declined by 40 per cent between 2000 and 2023, largely due to improved access to essential health services.

However, the pace of improvement has slowed significantly since 2016, and an estimated 260,000 women died in 2023 due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth, or roughly one death every two minutes.

Urgent action needed

As aid fu...
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