Global and regional causes of maternal deaths 2009-20: a WHO systematic analysis

Maternal mortality is not on track to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.1 of a global maternal mortality ratio below 70 per 100 000 livebirths by 2030. Updated evidence on causes of death is needed to accelerate progress.

We conducted a multi-strategy systematic review to identify causes of maternal deaths occurring in 2009-20. Data sources included civil registration and vital statistics systems data from the WHO Mortality Database, reports published by Member States, and national and subnational journal articles identified via bibliographic databases. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate the maternal cause of death distribution by SDG regions and worldwide. Given the paucity of data on maternal suicide and late maternal deaths occurring beyond 42 days postpartum, additional analyses were conducted to estimate the proportion of maternal deaths from suicide and the ratio of maternal to late maternal deaths (all cause).

Globally, the most common cause of maternal death was haemorrhage (27%; 80% uncertainty interval 22-32), followed by indirect obstetric deaths (23%, 18-30), and hypertensive disorders (16%, 14-19). The proportion of haemorrhage deaths varied substantially by region and was highest in sub-Saharan Africa and Western Asia and Northern Africa. The proportion of maternal deaths from hypertensive disorders was highest in Latin America and the Caribbean. Most maternal deaths from haemorrhage and sepsis occurred during the postpartum period. Only 12 countries recorded one or more maternal suicides; of those countries, the proportion of deaths from suicide ranged from below 1% to 26% of maternal deaths. For countries reporting at least one late maternal death (ie, deaths that occur more than 42 days but less than 1 year after the termination of pregnancy), the ratio of late maternal deaths to maternal deaths up to 42 days ranged from <0·01 to 0·07.

Haemorrhage remains the leading cause of death, despite the existence of effective clinical interventions, emphasising the need for improved access to quality health care. The timing of most deaths in the postpartum period demands renewed commitment to improving the provision of postpartum care in addition to intrapartum care. Indirect causes of death require health system approaches to integrate obstetric and non-obstetric care.

USAID; US Fund for UNICEF via the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and UNDP-UNFPA-UNICEF-WHO-World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development, and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP).