NEW! Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 – 2013

This report presents internationally comparable maternal mortality ratio estimates, including trends from 1990 to 2013. It is the seventh in a series of analyses by the United Nations agencies, led by The Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), which comprises of the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Population Division (UNPD) and The World Bank, together with a team at the National University of Singapore and University of California at Berkeley.The estimates are important for measuring progress on MDG5 target 5A: to reduce the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) by at least 75% between 1990 and 2015.MethodThese latest estimates use an improved methodology and data, gathered from country consultations, compared to previous estimates. The methodology for estimating births and all female deaths, steps necessary for estimating the maternal mortality ratio, have improved. Furthermore, new data not captured in the 2012 estimates was included in the 2013 round. The statistical code and input data are publicly available ensuring transparency.Results

• Global maternal mortality has reduced by 45% between 1990 and 2013.
• In 2013 an estimated 289 000 women died due to complications in pregnancy and childbirth, down from 523 000 in 1990.
• Sub-Saharan Africa is the region with the highest MMR (510), accounting for 62% (179 000) of global maternal deaths.
• The MMR in developing regions (230) was 14 times higher than in developed regions (16).
• The report places 12 countries as ‘on track’ to meeting MDG5: Maldives, Bhutan, Cambodia, Equatorial Guinea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Romania, Timor-Leste, Cabo Verde, Eritrea, Nepal and Rwanda.

Ghana

• Ghana's MMR has declined by 49 per cent between 1990 and 2013 (From 760/100,000 live births in 1990 to 380/100,000 live births in 2013)
• 3,100 women died from pregnancy related complications in 2013.
• 63.1 percent of deliveries were attended to by Skilled Birth Attendants in 2013 as against 60.3 percent in 2010.

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• Sierra Leone is estimated to have the highest MMR globally at 1100.
• Nigeria (560) and Malawi (510) are both classified as having very high MMR.
• Nigeria at 14% (40 000) and India at 17% (50 000) accounted for one third of all global maternal deaths.
• All MamaYe countries are classified as ‘making progress’ (as opposed to ‘on track’ or ‘insufficient progress’), meaning their MMR has had 2% to 5.5% average annual decline.

 19901995200020052013Changein MMRbetween1990 and2013Number of maternal deaths in 2013Lifetime risk of maternal death: 1 in:Ethiopia14001200990740420-69%13 00052Ghana760650570470380-49%310066Malawi1100870750570510-53%340034Nigeria12001100950740560-52%40 00031Sierra Leone23002400220016001100-54%240021Tanzania910890770610410-55%790044Shared features of successful progress

• Leadership and partnership
• Evidence and innovation
• Development and implementation of dual short-term and long-term strategies
• Adaptation to change for sustained progress
• Successful strategies and policies related to safer motherhood, neonatal health, nutrition and gender are anchored in the principles of human rights
• Improving maternal death reviews

The authors of the report comment on the steady progress observed for MDG 5, stating that they “can envision ending preventable maternal mortality in this lifetime”.To read the full report, click here.To view the data as interactive maps and graphs, click here.