UN reports suggest India experienced 24,000 maternal deaths in 2020 second only to Nigeria

India recorded the highest number of maternal deaths as per UN sources in 2020. It is the second highest number as compared to Nigeria which reported 82,000 death tolls in the pandemic period.

The pandemic hit the whole world hard, when surveyed, it shows a horrific count of 287,000 worldwide. This margin somewhere has been improved by the introduction of Sustainable Development Goals as in the year 2016, the maternal death rate was 309,000.

However, data from the most recent United Nations report on Trends in Maternal Mortality which was published on 23 February 2023, shows a general decrease of 73.5 percent in India's maternal mortality ratio (MMR), or deaths per lakh live births, between 2000 and 2020.

India has shown a sudden improvement in the MMR in 2020 which was 103, as previously it was 384. Compared to India, other developing countries have performed better which includes Brazil (72), Argentina (45), Kyrgyzstan (50), Bhutan (60), and the Philippines (78).

Europe, the Caribbean, North America, and Latin America have experienced an increase of 17 percent and 15 percent between 2016 and 2020 whereas Central and South Asia, New Zealand, and Australia have seen a decrease of 35 percent and 16 percent in the same time.

The decline in MMR has many reasons apart from the pandemic like severe bleeding, high blood pressure, infections caused during pregnancy, unsafe abortions, and much more.

These types of diseases and illnesses must be taken care of and treated properly. Otherwise, it will lead to severe deadly situations. Moreover, women in society are the ones who get affected due to these chronic diseases the most. They should be taken care of with regular visits to antenatal care checkups. According to a UN study, 270 million women lack access of having modern family planning methods.