The prevalence of maternal deaths in sub-Saharan Africa in 2020 and the impact of COVID pandemic on the Brindle Foundation

There were widespread geographic discrepancies in deaths in 2020. There were 70% of maternal deaths in sub-Saharan Africa that year. At least one woman died for every 100 babies born in Chad, Nigeria and South Sudan.

He said this was all the more so given that the report doesn’t capture the likely further setbacks since 2020 resulting from the impacts of the COVID pandemic and current global economic slowdowns.

“That makes it difficult for low income countries to invest in health care in order to live longer,” said Banerjee. He said that we are at risk of even more declines if we do not have more money or focus on primary health care.

When the goal was set in 2016 for the Brindle Foundation, a non-profit that supports care from pregnancy to early childhood, it was possible and aspirational, says Mary Wegner, executive director. “It no longer feels within reach,” she says.

Why is a woman killed during her pregnancy or childbirth? A point of view from a mother’s perspective on the COVID-19 epidemic

There are a lot of reasons a woman dies during her pregnancies or childbirth, ranging from heavy bleeding after childbirth to pre-eclampsia to unsafe abortions or infections. The level of care given to mothers and their income also contribute to their risk of death.

Wegner recognizes that as countries get closer to the global target, it gets harder to make clear progress. But many factors have exacerbated the problem in recent years, including conflicts, mass migration and climate change. The global stagnation is “both inexcusable and stunning”, she says.

Wegner feels that the COVID-19 epidemic has made it more difficult to gather reliable data because of the strain on health systems. She says she hopes she is wrong.