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The progress the world has made in reducing maternal mortality has stalled in recent years, with some regions — including Europe and Northern America — backsliding since 2015, according to a new report from United Nations agencies. (Joseph, 2/22)

In two of the eight UN regions – Europe and Northern America, and Latin America and the Caribbean – the maternal mortality rate increased from 2016 to 2020, by 17% and 15%, respectively. The report, however, noted there was a significant reduction in maternal deaths between 2000 and 2015, where they fell roughly 2.7% every year, but the progress largely stalled or even reversed after a point. (Roy, 2/23)

In the United States, maternal deaths rose sharply during the pandemic. In 2021, hundreds of deaths resulted from pregnancy complications exacerbated by Covid infections, according to data from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. But while the pandemic may have contributed to maternal deaths worldwide, it “does not explain the stagnation that we’re seeing,” said Dr. Jenny Cresswell, an epidemiologist at the W.H.O. and one of the new report’s authors. (Caryn Rabin, 2/22)

“While pregnancy should be a time of immense hope and a positive experience for all women, it is tragically still a shockingly dangerous experience for millions around the world who lack access to high quality, respectful health care,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. (McShane, 2/22)