Ruth Mbelkoyo

Every two minutes, a woman dies from pregnancy or childbirth complications worldwide – even though most maternal deaths are avoidable. When women have access to timely and appropriate obstetric care their outcomes improve dramatically.

27 Mar 2026
Médecins sans frontières

More than 700 women died each day from pregnancy and childbirth complications in 2023, according to a 2025 UN report. Most of these women lived in low- and middle-income countries and did not receive the care they needed. On top of that, pregnant women are especially vulnerable during wars, natural disasters, displacement, and extreme violence.

Most causes of maternal mortality are similar in many different contexts, which means they are not linked to specific issues related to a particular country. Instead, they are usually the result of structural shortcomings and negligence.

Continued: https://msf.org.au/article/stories-patients-staff/maternal-mortality-bringing-new-life-world-shouldnt-end-death

The stories of patients from Nigeria, Central African Republic, and Bangladesh illustrate the shared challenges pregnant women face trying to access care.

January 22, 2026
Doctors without Borders

Every two minutes, a woman dies from complications of pregnancy or childbirth. Most of these deaths would be preventable with timely care.

Timely care, however, can be difficult to access in many of the countries where Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) works, where violence, poverty, insecurity, and other obstacles can delay care or push it out of reach when it’s needed. For a pregnant woman with complications like eclampsia or hemorrhage, this can be life-threatening.

Continued: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/shared-challenges-giving-birth

Maternal Mortality: Bringing new life into the world shouldn’t end with death

The shared challenges of giving birth