ISLAMABAD/UNITED NATIONS (Kashmir English): Around 675 infants under one month old and 27 mothers lose their lives every day in Pakistan due to preventable complications, World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
The death rate is leading to over 246,000 newborns and nearly 11,000 maternal deaths annually, according to the United Nations and the WHO.
On World Health Day 2025, these entities urged the government and international partners to invest urgently in maternal and newborn health in the country, warning that inaction jeopardises the nation’s future.
The WHO reported that the country also faces over 190,000 stillbirths annually, primarily due to postpartum haemorrhage, infections, hypertensive disorders, and complications from unsafe abortions adding that these all are treatable conditions.
These distressing figures place Pakistan among the top four nations — alongside DR Congo, Nigeria, and India — contributing to 47% of the estimated 260,000 global maternal deaths in 2023, according to a recent UN report.
“Every country needs healthy mothers and healthy newborns to have a prosperous future. Ending preventable maternal and newborn deaths is possible if we reinvigorate our efforts,” said WHO representative in Pakistan, Dr Dapeng Luo.
“A single maternal or newborn death is one too many, and the cost of inaction is far greater than the cost of action.”
The theme for this year’s World Health Day, “Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures,” underscores the critical importance of maternal and newborn health as a foundation for national development.
The world health body estimates that every $1 invested in maternal and newborn health yields a return of $9 to $20, making it one of the most impactful public health investments.
Pakistan still far from achieving SDG targets
Despite some progress, Pakistan is still far from achieving the global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets of reducing maternal mortality to 70 deaths per 100,000 live births and neonatal mortality to 12 per 1,000 live births by 2030.
Pakistan’s maternal mortality ratio (MMR) has dropped from 276 in 2006 to 155 in 2024, and neonatal mortality has declined from 52 to 37.6 per 1,000 live births over the same period.
Stillbirths have also decreased from 39.8 per 1,000 births in 2000 to 27.5 in 2024. However, experts warn that progress has been uneven and fragile, particularly in rural and conflict-affected areas.
WHO noted that around 190 million people (80% of Pakistan’s population) now lives in areas where neonatal tetanus is under control, defined as fewer than one case per 1,000 live births.
The disease has been eliminated in Punjab (2016), Sindh (December 2024), Islamabad Capital Territory and Azad Kashmir (March 2025).
Still, significant gaps remain. Anaemia affects 41.7% of Pakistani women aged 15 to 49, and many continue to lack access to antenatal care, skilled birth attendants, emergency obstetric care, and postpartum support.
The COVID-19 pandemic also had a negative impact which further disrupted maternal health services, reducing access to institutional deliveries and lifesaving care, particularly in distant areas.
The UN report has highlighted that many maternal and newborn deaths could be prevented through investments in midwifery, mental health, family planning, nutrition, and women’s education and empowerment.
It also recommended restoring international funding and expanding domestic health budgets to rebuild essential services.
Pakistan is ranked among four countries — together with Nigeria, India and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) — that accounted for nearly half of the estimated 260,000 maternal deaths worldwide in 2023, according to UN data released on Monday that has prompted stark warnings about the impact of cuts to aid funding by the United States and the United Kingdom.
