Report, Advanced mother and Infant health and survival and reducing stillbirths, assess the latest data, have similar risk factors and causes, and monitor delivery of critical health services.
Overall, the report shows that progress on improving survival rates has stalled since 2015; with about 290,000 maternal deaths each year, 1.9 million stillbirths – babies who die after 28 weeks of pregnancy – and a staggering 2.3 million newborn deaths in the first month of life.
The report shows that more than 4.5 million women and babies died each year during pregnancy, childbirth or the first weeks after giving birth, the equivalent of a death occurring every seven seconds, mainly due to preventable or treatable causes with proper care. The new one publication was launched at a major global conference in Cape Town, South Africa.
The health system is under stress
The COVID-19 pandemics, rising poverty and worsening humanitarian crises have increased pressure on already strained health systems. Only one in 10 countries (out of more than 100 surveyed) reported having enough money to carry out their current plans.
according to the latest WHO survey Regarding the pandemic’s impact on essential health services, approximately 25% of countries still report ongoing disruptions to pregnancy and postpartum critical care as well as services for sick children.
“Pregnant women and babies continue to die at an unacceptably high rate Dr Anshu Banerjee, Director of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent and Aging Health at the World Health Organization said (WHO).
“If we want to see different results, We have to do things differently. More and smarter investment is now needed in primary health care so that every woman and child — no matter where they live — have the best chance of staying healthy and surviving.“
Fight for life
Loss of funding and underinvestment in primary health care can wreak havoc on survival prospects. For example, while preterm birth is currently the leading cause of all deaths in children under the age of 5 globally, less than a third reports of countries with enough infant care units for the treatment of children and diseases.
In the worst-affected countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South Asia, regions with the greatest burden of infant and maternal mortality, less than 60% of women receive even 4,000 death case. WHO recommends eightpregnancy test.
“The death of any woman or girl during pregnancy or childbirth is a seriously violate their human rights“Dr. Julitta Onabanjo, Director of the Technical Department at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
“This also reflects the urgent need to increase access to quality sexual and reproductive health services as part of universal health coverage and primary health care, especially in communities where maternal mortality has remained constant or even increased in recent years.
We have to take a human rights and gender transition approach to address maternal and infant mortality, and it is important that we eliminate the underlying factors that lead to poor maternal health such as socioeconomic inequality, discrimination, poverty and injustice“.
lifesaving care
The agencies say to increase survival rates, women and newborns must have affordable, quality health care before, during and after childbirth, as well as access to services. family planning.
More skilled and motivated health workers, especially midwives, are needed, in addition to essential medicines and supplies, safe water and reliable electricity. The report emphasizes that intervention should specifically targeting the poorest women and those in vulnerable situations, who are most likely to miss out on life-saving careincluding through better planning and investing.
Improving maternal and newborn health requires addressing harmful gender norms, biases and inequalities. Recent data show that only about 60% of women aged 15-49 make their own decisions relating to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Based on current trends, more than 60 countries have fallen short of the United Nations’ targets to reduce maternal mortality, infant mortality and stillbirth. Sustainable development goals to 2030.
