Urgent need for action: maternal, newborn crisis

PREGNANCY and the newborn period (the first 28 days of life) are undoubtedly the most dangerous time in the lives of African mothers and babies.

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The risk of dying in pregnancy or childbirth in sub-Saharan Africa is 50 times higher than in high-income countries.

While Africa contributes about 30% of global births, around 70% of the 267,000 global maternal deaths annually occur on this continent. For African newborns, the risk of dying on the day of birth and within the first month of life is higher than at any other time in childhood, accounting for nearly half of under-five child deaths.

Given these alarming statistics, it is fitting that the theme for World Health Day (April 7) “Healthy Beginnings, hopeful futures” focuses on improving maternal and newborn health in Africa and the rest of the world.

Although preventable maternal and newborn death rates have declined globally, progress to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa is now stagnant, with the total number of one million newborn deaths every year remaining unchanged over the past two decades. At the current rate of decline, it will take another century for African newborns to attain the survival rates of newborns in high-income countries.

Four in five low-and middle-income countries will not achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of reducing maternal mortality to less than 70 per 100 000 live births by 2030 (Target 3.1), At least 31 African and Asian countries are also unlikely to meet SDG Target 3.2, which aims to reduce preventable newborn death rates to fewer than 12 per 1 000 live births. Some African countries are even experiencing a reversal of gains, with newborn death rates rising.