Global maternal deaths down by half from 1990 to 2013

MANILA, Philippines - As Mother’s Day is celebrated today, new data of United Nations agencies show that global maternal deaths went down by almost half from 1990 to 2013.

Based on a report of the Maternal Mortality Inter-agency Group, around 289,000 women died last year due to complications in pregnancy and childbirth, down from 523,000 in 1990.

The report showed that 11 countries with high levels of maternal mortality in 1990 have reached the Millennium Development Goal target of 75 percent reduction in maternal death rate by 2015.

These are Bhutan, Cambodia, Cabo Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Maldives, Nepal, Romania, Rwanda and Timor-Leste.

But based on the latest trend, UN said that “many low- and middle-income countries will not achieve this goal.”

Another report of the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed “new knowledge” on why women are dying.

The WHO report showed that more than 60,000 maternal deaths in 115 countries had pre-existing medical conditions exacerbated by pregnancy, such as diabetes, malaria, HIV and obesity.

Other causes of deaths include severe bleeding mostly during and after childbirth, pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, infections and obstructed labor.

“The two reports highlight the need to invest in solutions, such as quality care for all women during pregnancy and childbirth, and particular care for pregnant women with existing medical conditions,” said Flavia Bustreo, WHO Assistant Director-General for Family, Women’s and Children’s Health.

United Nations Population Fund Deputy Executive Director Kate Gilmore disclosed that more than 15 million girls aged 15 to 19 give birth every year.

“Relatively simple and well-known interventions, like midwifery services and gender-based violence prevention and response, can make a huge difference if scaled up and coupled with investments in innovations, especially in the area of contraceptives,” Gilmore said.