ISLAMABAD: Pakistan was among four countries that accounted for 47 percent of all global maternal deaths in 2023, a report by the United Nations released on Monday on the occasion of World Health Day said.
The international community marks World Health Day every year on Apr. 7. This year’s theme, “healthy beginnings, hopeful futures,” has been chosen to stress the importance of maternal and child health care. As per the UN, the campaign will urge governments and the health community to ramp up efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and to prioritize women’s longer-term health and well-being.
Released on World Health Day, the UN report titled “Trends in Maternal Mortality Estimates 2000-2023” has been compiled by the WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank and UN’s Population Division. The report states that while there has been a 40 percent global decline in maternal deaths between 2000 and 2023, the pace of improvement has slowed significantly since 2016. It added that an estimated 260,000 women died in 2023 as a result of complications from pregnancy or childbirth.
The report said Nigeria had the highest number of maternal deaths and accounted for more than a quarter (28.7 percent) of them in 2023, with approximately 75 000 deaths. Three other countries had more than 10,000 maternal deaths in 2023: India (19,000), the Democratic Republic of Congo (19,000) and Pakistan (11,000), accounting for 7.2 percent, 7.2 percent and 4.1 percent of global maternal deaths, respectively.
“Together, these four countries accounted for almost half (47 percent) of all maternal deaths globally in 2023,” the report said.
The report pointed out that five countries had more than 5,000 maternal deaths but fewer than 10,000 in 2023. These include Ethiopia, Afghanistan, the United Republic of Tanzania, Indonesia and Chad. A total of 84 countries were estimated to have had 20 or fewer maternal deaths in 2023, the report said.
The report 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.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on his message on World Health Day, said that Pakistan still has a “long way to go” as far as maternal and child health are concerned.
“Pakistan has made remarkable progress in the field of maternal and child health, but we still have a long way to go,” Sharif was quoted as saying by his office. “We must strengthen our health systems in a way that they can effectively address not only medical but also the broader social factors that impact maternal and newborn health.”
The Pakistani premier said his government is committed to harnessing cutting-edge technology in the health sector and building strong partnerships to further improve public health services.
He said that through the use of digital health tools, data-driven policymaking and effective community engagement, Pakistan aims to bridge the gaps that hinder health service delivery, especially in underserved and remote areas.
“As we celebrate World Health Day 2025, let us reaffirm the need for an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to health,” Sharif said. “This should include integrated and practical actions in health care, education, nutrition, environment, and governance.”
