United Nations organizations have warned that aid cuts will jeopardize worldwide efforts to reduce maternal fatalities.
The agencies gave the warning in a new report released on World Health Day.
The UN agencies highlighted in the report the threat of major backsliding as unprecedented aid cuts take effect across the world.
The report, titled “Trend in Maternal Mortality,” indicated a 40 percent global decline in maternal deaths between 2000 and 2023, largely due to improved access to essential health care services.
It showed that the pace of improvement has slowed significantly since 2016 and that an estimated 260,000 women died in 2023 as a result of complications from pregnancy or childbirth, roughly equivalent to one maternal death every two minutes.
It was released as humanitarian funding cuts are having severe impacts on essential health care in many parts of the world, forcing countries to roll back vital services for maternal, newborn, and child health.
“These cuts have led to facility closures and loss of health workers, while also disrupting supply chains for lifesaving supplies and medicines such as treatments for hemorrhage, pre-eclampsia, and malaria, all leading causes of maternal deaths.
“Without urgent action, the agencies warn that pregnant women in multiple countries will face severe repercussions, particularly those in humanitarian settings where maternal deaths are already alarmingly high,” it said.
Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), said that while the report showed glimmers of hope, the data also highlighted how dangerous pregnancy still was in much of the world today.
Written By Ochogwu Sunday