The World Health Organisation (WHO) African Region has raised alarm over the staggering maternal and newborn death toll across the continent, revealing that an estimated 178,000 mothers and one million newborns die every year, largely due to preventable causes.
The health body announced this on Monday in a release to commemorate World Health Day, celebrated on April 7 annually.
This year’s campaign focuses on improving maternal and newborn health and survival with the theme “Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures”.
It said the African region has made progress in lowering maternal mortality since 2000 but needs a 12-fold increase in the annual reduction rate to reach the Sustainable Development Goals target of fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030, new estimates by the United Nations Maternal Mortality Estimation Interagency Group show.
“Despite a 40 per cent decline in maternal mortality, from 727 to 442 deaths per 100 000 live births between 2000 and 2023, the region still accounts for 70 per cent of global maternal deaths. Each year, an estimated 178,000 mothers and one million newborns die in the African region – many from preventable causes.
“At the current annual reduction rate of 2.2 per cent between 2000 and 2023, the region is projected to 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 per cent and 33 per cent respectively between 2000 and 2023, sub-Saharan Africa still accounts for 47 per cent of stillbirths and 46 per cent 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 stated.
It said this year’s theme for World Health Day calls 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.
“In too many places, pregnancy and childbirth are still life-threatening events,” said the acting WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu. “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.”
WHO said the key barriers to progress 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.
It highlighted that the 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 death.
“WHO is supporting countries across the region in implementing a wide range of interventions. These include developing and rolling out maternal and newborn health acceleration plans and implementing antenatal and postnatal care guidelines.
“Other priorities include increasing access to skilled health personnel at birth and emergency obstetric care, expanding special care for small and sick newborns, and tackling the social and economic drivers of health inequities.
“More than 60 per cent of countries in the African region now report that over 80 per cent of births are attended by skilled health personnel, a significant improvement from just 28 per cent in 2010. However, progress varies across the region, with rural and crisis-affected areas continuing to face acute service shortage gaps,” it added.
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