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'Women in War Zones Face 5 Times Higher Risk of Maternal Death'

Nearly two-thirds of all maternal deaths worldwide occurred in countries facing conflict or fragility, according to a new report from the World Health Organization and its partners.

A WHO report shows that women who live in countries experiencing conflict are around five times more likely to die from maternal causes during pregnancy than their peers who live in stable countries. In 2023 alone, approximately 160,000 women will die from preventable maternal causes in fragile and conflict-affected settings. This represents six of every ten maternal deaths worldwide, even though these countries only account for one of ten live births worldwide.

The report aligned the latest maternal mortality ratio estimates with whether a country is conflict-affected or fragile. Countries classified as conflict-affected had an estimated maternal mortality ratio of 504 deaths per 100,000 live births, while in countries considered institutionally and socially fragile, it was 368. 

InFocus

UNICEF Ethiopia/Flickr

Waiting to be seen by a Health Extension Worker in Amhara region, Ethiopia

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