Sharjah24 - AFP: According to the United Nations, despite maternal death rates declining by a third in 20 years, a woman dies every two minutes from problems related to pregnancy or delivery.
Rates fell significantly between 2000 and 2015 but largely stagnated between 2016 and 2020 -- and in some regions have even reversed, the UN said.
The overall maternal mortality rate dropped by 34.3 percent over a 20-year period -- from 339 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 223 maternal deaths in 2020, according to a report by the World Health Organization and other UN agencies.
Nonetheless, that means nearly 800 women died per day in 2020 -- or around one every two minutes.
Belarus recorded the biggest decline -- down 95.5 percent -- while Venezuela saw the highest increase. Between 2000 and 2015, the biggest rise was in the United States.
"While pregnancy should be a time of immense hope and a positive experience for all women, it is tragically still a shockingly dangerous experience for millions around the world," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
"These new statistics reveal the urgent need to ensure every woman and girl has access to critical health services... and that they can fully exercise their reproductive rights."
The report found that between 2016 and 2020, maternal mortality rates dropped in only two of the eight UN regions: in Australia and New Zealand by 35 percent, and in Central and Southern Asia by 16 percent.
For an optimal experience, please
