One million newborns, 178,000 mothers die yearly in Africa – WHO

THe World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed concern that an estimated 178 000 mothers and one million newborns die in Africa every year, mostly from preventable causes.

The WHO said African region has made progress in lowering maternal mortality since 2000 but progress still slow.

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The agency said the continent needs a 12-fold increase in the annual reduction rate to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SGD) target of fewer than 70 deaths per 100 000 live births by 2030, according to new estimates by the United Nations Maternal Mortality Estimation Interagency Group.
“Despite a 40% decline in maternal mortality, from 727 to 442 deaths per 100 000 live births between 2000 and 2023, the region still accounts for 70% of global maternal deaths. Each year”, the global agency said in a maternal mortality report published Monday.

At the current annual reduction rate of 2.2% between 2000 and 2023, the WHO projected that Africa would have nearly 350 maternal deaths per 100 000 live births by 2030, five times higher than the SDG target of fewer than 70 deaths.

“Likewise, although stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates have declined by 30% and 33% respectively between 2000 and 2023, sub-Saharan Africa still accounts for 47% of stillbirths and 46% of global newborn deaths. The region is projected to record neonatal mortality rate of about twice the SDG target of at least as low as 12 deaths per 1000 live births by 2030″, it further said.

As the world marks thr World Health Day, marked under the theme “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures,” the WHO called on governments, donors and communities to ramp up efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths and to prioritize the longer-term health and well-being of women and children.

Chikwe Ihekweazu, Acting WHO Regional Director for Africa decried that pregnancy and childbirth are still life-threatening events.

“But it doesn’t have to be this way. Every dollar invested in maternal and newborn health delivers major returns: healthier families, stronger societies and sustainable economic growth.”

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The WHO highlighted key barriers to progress to include; inadequate financing, weak governance, health workforce shortages and recurring shocks, such as disease outbreaks and conflicts, all of which disrupt maternal and child health services. In fragile and crisis-affected settings, women and children are particularly at risk.

Leading causes of maternal deaths in the region include haemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, infections, unsafe abortion and obstructed labour, all conditions that are largely preventable or treatable with access to timely, quality care. Among newborns, preterm births, complications during childbirth, sepsis and neonatal infections, as well as congenital anomalies are the common causes of deaths.