Over 1 lakh pregnancy deaths from high BP, bleeding globally: WHO

Severe bleeding (haemorrhage) and high blood pressure disorders such as preeclampsia are responsible for over 1 lakh pregnancy-related deaths worldwide, according to a new study released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday, 8 March.

In 2020, there were an estimated 287,000 maternal deaths in total — equivalent to one death every two minutes.

The study, published in the Lancet Global Health journal, showed that haemorrhage — mostly occurring during or following childbirth — is responsible for nearly a third (27 per cent, or 80,000) of maternal mortality, with preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders contributing to an additional 16 per cent, or 50,000 deaths.

Preeclampsia is a serious condition characterised by high blood pressure that can lead to haemorrhage, strokes, organ failures and seizures if left untreated or treated too late.

“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 the WHO.

Further, the study also reported other health conditions — such as infectious and chronic diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, anaemias and diabetes — underpinning nearly a quarter (23 per cent) 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, said the researchers.

Sepsis and infections; pulmonary embolism; complications from spontaneous and induced abortions — including miscarriage, ectopic pregnancies and issues relating to unsafe abortions — were the other direct causes of maternal deaths.

Notably, around a third of women — primarily in lower-income countries — still do not receive essential postnatal checks in the first days after birth.

The findings highlight the need to strengthen key aspects of maternity care, including antenatal services that detect risks early in pregnancy and prevent severe complications.