On World Health Day, global health leaders highlighted urgent calls to accelerate actions aimed at ending preventable maternal deaths. In recorded statements to mark the day, key figures from the United Nations and World Health Organization (WHO) underscored the critical need for increased investment in maternal health systems, with a focus on ensuring equitable access to care for all women.

Pio Smith, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), delivered a poignant message on the uneven progress across the Asia-Pacific region. Despite a two-thirds reduction in maternal mortality over the past two decades, the region continues to witness approximately 150 maternal deaths daily, with Southern Asia accounting for 43,000 maternal deaths in 2023 alone. Smith noted, “While progress is happening, it is neither fast enough nor equitable enough.”

The urgency of the situation is underscored by the severe shortage of trained midwives, critical to ensuring maternal and newborn health. According to UNFPA, at least 200,000 more midwives are needed across Asia-Pacific, where midwives have been shown to save up to 40% of maternal and newborn lives. Smith reaffirmed UNFPA’s commitment to enhancing midwifery education and strengthening national health systems to reduce these preventable deaths.

Globally, Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA, echoed the call for action, emphasizing that while maternal health has improved globally due to advances in medical care and reproductive rights, disparities persist. “In conflict-affected countries, women are twice as likely to die from pregnancy and childbirth complications compared to the global average,” Dr. Kanem said. She highlighted the growing need for investments in midwifery care and equitable health services, particularly in low-income and marginalized communities.

According to WHO, while the global maternal mortality rate has dropped by 40% since 2000, significant disparities remain. The lack of skilled personnel, shortages of essential medicines, and poor quality of care in many regions contribute to an unacceptably high number of preventable deaths. WHO and UNFPA are calling for global commitments to achieve zero preventable maternal deaths and to ensure that every woman can survive childbirth and thrive thereafter.

UNFPA’s regional efforts include the development of an investment case for midwife-led interventions, which could save 4.3 million lives by 2035 if universally scaled up. The organization is also working to strengthen maternal health care frameworks, particularly in countries affected by humanitarian crises, where access to services is often disrupted.

As the world commemorates World Health Day with the theme “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures,” global health experts stress the need for immediate and sustained efforts to protect the lives of mothers, sisters, daughters, and their children. They call for collective action to ensure that every woman, regardless of her location or circumstances, has the opportunity to live, thrive, and bring new life into the world safely.