Thousands of pregnancy-related complications still go unnoticed and untreated, according to a recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report that exposes the frightening reality of mother health globally. The report claims that the main causes of mother mortality worldwide are haemorrhage —that is, serious bleeding—and hypertension conditions including preeclampsia. These disorders alone accounted for over 80,000 and 50,000 deaths respectively in 2020 alone. The results show that during pregnancy, labor, and the postoperative period, many women still lack access to life-saving medical treatment.
Published in The Lancet Global Health, this study represents WHO’s first thorough review of maternal mortality causes since the 2015 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adoption. Although it lists the direct obstetric causes of mother mortality, the report also stresses the part underlying medical diseases including HIV/AIDS, malaria, anemia, and diabetes play in about 23% of pregnancy-related deaths. Many of these disorders go undiagnosed and untreated until difficulties develop, therefore raising the health risks for millions of expecting mothers.
A worldwide health crisis compromising thousands of women
Equivalent to one maternal fatality every two minutes, a projected 287,000 women died in 2020 from problems resulting from pregnancy or childbirth. The study found that whilst preeclampsia and other hypertension diseases accounted for 16%, hemorrhage by itself accounted for over 27% of all maternal deaths. If not recognized and treated quickly, preeclampsia—a major pregnancy-related disorder marked by high blood pressure—can cause organ failure, haemorrhages, strokes, and seizures.
Severe infections (sepsis), pulmonary embolism, problems following both natural and induced abortions, ectopic pregnancies, and unsafe abortion-related problems are other main causes of mother mortality. Furthermore seriously jeopardizing mother health are issues with anesthetic and traumas received after delivery.
These results highlight the great necessity of strengthening mother healthcare systems, especially prenatal and postnatal care services that can spot high-risk pregnancies early and stop potentially fatal complications. Most mothers die during or shortly after childbirth, thus this interval is a crucial window for medical intervention according to experts. Still, about one-third of mothers in lower-income nations do not get necessary post-natal visits in the critical initial days after delivery.
The Demand for an All-Inclusive Maternal Health Approach
The results of the study show that rather than a single cause, pregnancy-related deaths usually result from several interrelated elements. Preeclampsia, for example, greatly raises the chance of hemorrhage; other diseases may aggravate problems even following delivery.
“Reducing mother deaths depends on a more all-encompassing approach to maternal healthcare,” stated WHO scientist and study author Dr. Jenny Cresswell. “Women require ongoing, high-quality care throughout all phases of life, not only during pregnancy. Maintaining mother survival rates and general well-being will be much enhanced by strengthening healthcare systems to provide continuous support before, during, and after childbirth.”
Based on national health statistics and peer-reviewed research, the study also reveals disparities in mother health reporting, especially with relation to late mother deaths and suicide—events that happen up to a year after childbirth. Only 12 countries now have statistics on mother suicide; most countries do not monitor long-term maternal health hazards that continue past pregnancy. Many women battle to get follow-up treatment, including mental health assistance, which can be crucial for recovery, after childbirth.
Who’s Working to Boost Maternal Health Globally?
WHO keeps pushing for more access to excellent, respectful maternity care at every level of pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period in response to the ongoing mother death crisis. WHO and its partners launched the Strategic Initiative Global Roadmap for Postpartum Haemorrhage in 2024, meant to lower mortality resulting from extreme bleeding during and following childbirth.
In the same year, the World Health Assembly—which comprises of 194 member nations—passed a resolution stressing the need of enhancing mother healthcare services before, during, and after delivery.
Looking ahead, World Health Day 2025 will highlight mother and newborn health, therefore marking a pivotal turning point in the five-year countdown to the Sustainable Development Goals deadline. Particularly in low-income and crisis-torn areas where mother mortality remain disproportionately high, the campaign will advocate faster measures to offer moms and children high-quality care.
Beyond just survival, WHO stresses that postnatal care, mental health assistance, and long-term well-being should all be given top priority in view of mother health.
New Maternal Death Figures Expected in 2025
Based on earlier research done in 2014 covering mother death rates from 2003-2009, the paper Global and Regional Causes of Maternal Deaths 2009-2020: A WHO Systematic Analysis improves upon Like previous studies, the most recent data reveal that, once more, hemorrhage is the predominant cause of maternal mortality.
WHO has said that April 2025 will see publication of fresh estimates of maternal mortality spanning 2000–2023. Updated global, regional, and country-specific data from this research will enable health organizations and legislators to spot trends and create focused measures meant to lower mother mortality all around.
The Path Forward: Guaranturing All Safe Pregnancies
The WHO study reminds us sharply that, in spite of major medical progress, mother mortality remains a serious worldwide health concern. Dealing with these issues calls for a mix of timely medical intervention, preventative care, and thorough postnatal support, experts say.
For millions of women worldwide, access to good mother care might make all the difference between life and death. Governments, healthcare providers, and international organizations working together once more gives hope that unnecessary mother deaths can be greatly lowered in the next years.
