India ranks 2nd, accounts for 7.2% maternal deaths

In 2023, India accounted for 19,000 maternal deaths accounting for 7.2 percent of the global deaths, according to a new report by the United Nations.

Sharing the spot with Democratic Republic of the Congo and second to Nigeria, India’s maternal mortality rate (MMR) was 362 in 2000 and came down to 80 in 2023, marking a decline of 78 percent in the last two decades.

Maternal mortality refers to deaths due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth.

With 75,000 deaths, Nigeria had the highest number of maternal deaths and accounted for more than a quarter (28.7%) of all estimated global maternal deaths in 2023. Three other countries had more than 10 000 maternal deaths in 2023, India (19 000), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (19,000) and Pakistan (11,000) – accounting for 7.2 percent, 7.2 percent and 4.1 percent of global maternal deaths, respectively, the report said.

However, the Union health ministry commented that the comparison of India with Nigeria is not fair given the population of two countries. Nigeria has a population of 23.26 crore people while India has 146 crore.

Globally there is a decline of 40 percent in MMR in the period 2000 to 2023.

“The number of women and girls who died each year from complications of pregnancy and childbirth declined from 443,000 in 2000 to 260,000 in 2023. These improvements are particularly remarkable in light of rapid population growth in many of the countries where maternal deaths are highest. Still, 712 women are dying each day from complications in pregnancy and childbirth, which is equivalent to one every two minutes,” UN said.

The report also provides for the first global account of maternal deaths during Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2021, the MMR was 322 000 and 267 000 maternal deaths in 2022. The increase in maternal deaths and MMR in 2021 mirrors the global pattern of excess deaths among women aged 15–49 years during the Covid-19.

The report concluded that the maternal deaths recorded worldwide during the pandemic could be due to complications induced by the pandemic and disruption of healthcare services during the period.

Haemorrhage is a direct obstetric cause of death and remains the leading cause of maternal mortality globally. Indirect obstetric causes as a group are the second most common cause of maternal death globally, and these include diabetes mellitus, and maternal infectious and parasitic diseases, many of which can pre-date pregnancy.

India