The progress the world has made in reducing maternal mortality has stalled in recent years, with some regions — including Europe and Northern America — backsliding since 2015, according to a new report from United Nations agencies.
The report estimated that there were 287,000 maternal deaths globally in 2020, a slight decrease compared to an estimated 309,000 maternal deaths in 2016. The rate of 223 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020 meant that, on average, someone died from pregnancy- or childbirth-related issues every two minutes. Officials stressed that most of these deaths are preventable or treatable with access to quality care.