South Asia Drives APAC Gains in Maternal Mortality

Approximately 287,000 women died in childbirth in 2020, according to a UN database. This equates to around 223 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. While this figure is still far too high, it has fallen significantly since 2000 (-34 percent).

In the Asia-Pacific region, major progress has been made particularly in South and South-West Asia, where the mortality rate decreased by 264.3 deaths per 100,000 live births over the past two decades, according to a report by UN Women and ESCAP. While this is a greater change than the regional and global average, it is important to note that in many of the countries in South-East Asia, South and South-West Asia and the Pacific, figures were particularly high to begin with and that in 2020, many of these still experienced maternal mortality ratios between 100-299 per 100,000 live births. According to the report, at the current rate of progress, the region does not look set to reach the Sustainable Development Goal target 3.1 of less than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.

The World Health Organization states that maternal deaths are often a result of complications during and following pregnancy and childbirth, most of which are preventable or treatable. These major complications include severe bleeding, infections, high blood pressure during pregnancy, complications from delivery and unsafe abortion. Many of the maternal deaths are linked to insufficient care during pregnancy, childbirth or after birth, with gaps in access for disadvantaged women.