Sustainable Development Goals and Maternal Mortality

Recent years have seen a reduction in the global maternal mortality ratio (MMR) by 44%, from 385 to 216 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births due to the Millennium Development Goals.

Despite the progress, in the last two decades, the world still fell far short of the Millennium Development Goals target of a 75% reduction in the global MMR by 2015.

Furthermore, there is a huge global disparity between the rich and poor countries, with sub-Saharan Africa bearing the brunt of maternal deaths. For example, sub-Saharan Africa has by far the highest MMR at 546 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births while the average MMR in developed regions is just 12 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.

Six years on, maternal mortality remains one of the hottest topics in international development agenda. This is encapsulated in “Goal 3” of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda through 2030, to “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages”. In February 2015, the World Health Organization published “Strategies toward ending preventable maternal mortality” (EPMM Strategies).

These new strategies sets out a direction for reducing maternal mortality under the SDGs and a final report grounded in a human rights approach to maternal and new-born health and focus on eliminating the inequities that lead to disparities in access, quality and outcomes of health care within and among countries.

Global Target:

To reduce the global maternal mortality ratio (MMR) to fewer than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.

National Targets:

Every country should reduce its MMRs by at least two-thirds from their 2010 baseline; countries with the highest maternal mortality burdens will need to achieve even greater reduction by 2030.

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No country should have an MMR greater than 140 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, a number twice the global target by 2030.