UN Warns About Global Aid Cuts Threatening Progress in Reducing Maternal Mortality
(MENAFN) On Monday, United Nations agencies issued a warning about significant cuts to global aid, which are putting critical advancements in reducing maternal deaths at risk.
A recent report published on World Health Day revealed that an expected of 260,000 women lost their lives in 2023 due to pregnancy or childbirth-related complications, equating to roughly one death every two minutes.
The "Trends in maternal mortality" report, prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO) on behalf of the UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group—which includes WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, the World Bank Group, and the Population Division—highlighted a 40 percent reduction in maternal deaths worldwide between 2000 and 2023. This decline was primarily attributed to enhanced access to essential healthcare.
However, the report also noted that since 2016, progress has slowed down, and recent reductions in funding are forcing health services to cut back, particularly in fragile regions.
"While this report shows glimmers of hope, the data also highlights how dangerous pregnancy still is in much of the world today despite the fact that solutions exist to prevent and treat the complications that cause the vast majority of maternal deaths," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
"Global funding cuts to health services are putting more pregnant women at risk, especially in the most fragile settings, by limiting their access to essential care during pregnancy and the support they need when giving birth," emphasized UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
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