The WHO reveals the main causes of maternal deaths in the world

A study published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in The Lancet Global Health reveals that severe bleeding and hypertensive disorders, such as preeclampsia, continue being the main causes of maternal deaths. In 2020, these problems caused around 80,000 and 50,000 deaths, respectively, demonstrating the lack of access to essential healthcare services during and after pregnancy. On a global scale, it is estimated that during this year 287,000 women died due to complications related to pregnancy, which is the equivalent of a death every two minutes.

The report, which represents the first up-date by the WHO on this subject since 2015, also underlines that almost a quarter of the maternal deaths are linked to infectious and chronic diseases, such as HIV/Aids, malaria, anaemia and diabetes. Many of these affections are not detected or treated in time, which worsens the complications during pregnancy. Additionally, other direct causes of death were identified, such as serious infections, pulmonary embolisms and complications derived from abortions performed in unsafe conditions.

The conclusions of the study emphasised the need to strengthen maternal care during all the different the stages. Detecting risks in early pregnancy, guaranteeing emergency obstetric care and carrying out controls during the postpartum period are key steps to reduce the death rate. However, according to the study, in many low-income countries a large proportion of women do not receive any follow up care in the days after the birth, which increases the risk of fatal complications. The improvement of preventive interventions could reduce the incidence of underlying diseases and contribute to saving lives, a recommendation that the WHO considers essential.