Stillbirth in Low-Resource Settings

Globally, 1.9 million late-gestation stillbirths occurred in 2023, 87% in low-income and middle-income countries, with sub-Saharan Africa bearing almost half the burden. Despite a global decline, progress is uneven and stalling in high-burden regions. Most are preventable but persist due to complex factors: biomedical causes (eg, hypertension and infection), societal determinants (eg, poverty, inequity, and low empowerment), and critical health system gaps limiting access to timely, high-quality antenatal, and intrapartum care. Ending preventable stillbirths requires urgent, intersectoral action: closing data gaps, strengthening health systems (especially skilled birth attendance and emergency care), addressing underlying social determinants, and providing supportive bereavement care.