New Delhi, March 28 The maternal mortality ratio in India has decreased by 86 per cent since 1990, which is nearly double the global average of 48 per cent, the Health Ministry said today.
According to the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) 2021-23, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of the country is 88 per 100,000 live births, ministry sources said.
This was in response to a study published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, and Women's Health journal that estimated India's maternal deaths in 2023 to be 24,700, translating to a maternal mortality ratio of 116 per 100,000 live births – a nearly 80 per cent reduction since 1990, when the ratio was 508 per 100,000 live births.
Researchers, led by those from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, US, and global collaborators, noted that maternal deaths have declined over the past three decades, yet progress has slowed in recent years and remains uneven across countries.
The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 research provides the most up-to-date global assessment of maternal mortality trends across 204 countries and territories through 2023, they said.
The Health Ministry said in a statement that the figure of 88 per 100,000 live births demonstrates progress in ensuring safe pregnancies and childbirth.
"Our progress in maternal health is globally recognized, and according to the latest United Nations Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (UN-MMEIG) Report, India has achieved an 86 per cent reduction in MMR since 1990, which far exceeds the global average of 48 per cent. This accomplishment underscores India's commitment to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals benchmark of reducing MMR below 70 by 2030," the statement said.
The world saw a total of 2.4 lakh maternal deaths in 2023, which equates to a global maternal mortality ratio of 190.5 maternal deaths per 100,000 livebirths – a decline by more than one-third from 321 maternal deaths per 100,000 livebirths in 1990, the researchers estimated.
Improved access to antenatal care, safe delivery services, emergency obstetric care, and post-partum follow-up could substantially reduce mortality, especially in countries with the highest burdens, the researchers said.
Furthermore, the COVID-19 infection also led to increases in maternal mortality early in the pandemic.
Before widespread vaccination, during 2020-2021, COVID-19 caused temporary increases in maternal deaths in regions and locations with a high COVID-19 mortality, the team said.
They added that with less than five years remaining to meet the SDG target, a renewed global action and sustained investment will be needed to accelerate progress, strengthen health systems, and improve countries' ability to monitor and reduce maternal mortality.
