Question: Provide a brief introduction to maternal mortality, stating its causes and impart on individuals and the community/society/country.

Expert answer

Maternal mortality is a term used to describe the death of a woman during pregnancy, childbirth, or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy. It is estimated that every year, 303,000 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Maternal mortality is defined as the "death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of the end of her pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes."

The leading causes of maternal mortality are haemorrhage (25%), eclampsia (12%), obstructed labour (8%), sepsis (7%), and complications from unsafe abortion (5%). Most of these deaths could be prevented with access to quality antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, and emergency obstetric care.

Maternal mortality is not only a tragedy for the women and families involved; it also has far-reaching consequences for society as a whole. Maternal death robs children of their mothers, deprives families of breadwinners and caretakers, undermines gender equality, and stalls development.

The impact of maternal mortality is felt most keenly in low-resource settings and among disadvantaged communities. In many cases, women who die from pregnancy-related causes are young, poor, or live in rural areas with limited access to healthcare. They are also more likely to have had little or no education, and to be from ethnic minority groups.

Addressing maternal mortality is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and to ensuring that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, and every woman and girl is treated with dignity and respect.