Global and regional causes of maternal deaths 2009–20: a WHO systematic analysis (7 March 2025)

Summary

Haemorrhage – severe heavy bleeding – and hypertensive disorders like preeclampsia are the leading causes of maternal deaths globally, according to a new study by the World Health Organization (WHO). These conditions were responsible for around 80 000 and 50 000 fatalities respectively in 2020 – the last year for which published estimates are available – highlighting that many women still lack access to lifesaving treatments and effective care during and after pregnancy and birth.

Content

Published in the Lancet Global Health, the study is WHO’s first global update on the causes of maternal deaths since the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals were adopted in 2015. In addition to outlining the major direct obstetric causes, it shows that other health conditions, including both infectious and chronic diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, anaemias, and diabetes, underpin nearly a quarter (23%) of pregnancy and childbirth-related mortality. These conditions, which often go undetected or untreated until major complications occur, exacerbate risk and complicate pregnancies for millions of women around the world.

“Understanding why pregnant women and mothers are dying is critical for tackling the world’s lingering maternal mortality crisis and ensuring women have the best possible chances of surviving childbirth,” said Dr Pascale Allotey, Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research at WHO as well as the UN’s Special Programme on Human Reproduction (HRP). “This is also a massive equity issue globally - women everywhere need high quality, evidence-based health care before, during and after delivery, as well as efforts to prevent and treat other underlying conditions that jeopardize their health.”