Maternal Mortality in Iran and Worldwide: An Statistical Overview

The latest report from the Statistical Center of Iran indicates that, on average, a pregnant woman loses her life during childbirth every 36 hours. In Iran, the maternal mortality rate during childbirth is approximately one-tenth of the global average, yet it remains more than one and a half times higher than the target set for the government in the Sixth Development Plan. The number of pregnant women who die during childbirth had been decreasing in Iran over recent decades, but this trend has now halted; official statistics show that the maternal mortality rate increased from 20 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2017 to about 24 deaths in 2022. According to the Sixth Development Plan, this rate was supposed to reach 15 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2021. The Sixth Development Plan period is from 2017 to 2021, which has been extended until the end of 2023. This plan aimed to reduce the maternal mortality rate during childbirth to 18 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2017 and ultimately to 15 by 2021. However, data from the Statistical Center of Iran in 2021 shows that 238 women died during childbirth, translating to 22 deaths per 100,000 live births. A year later, in 2022, this figure increased again, with 246 pregnant mothers dying during childbirth in Iran. One reason for the rising maternal mortality rate is the decline in birth rates in recent years, with the number of births dropping from about 1.45 million in 2017 to 1.039 million in 2022. According to the head of the Medical Council in November of last year, 17% of maternal deaths during childbirth occurred due to a lack of access to medical staff and facilities. Furthermore, most of the victims of childbirth are mothers aged 30 to 35, with 45% of these deaths attributed to insufficient expertise among medical staff. Despite this, the maternal mortality rate during childbirth in Iran remains more than one and a half times higher than the level set by the government in the Sixth Development Plan. Some officials of the Islamic Republic, such as Mohammad Raiszadeh, head of the Medical Council, compare the current situation with global rates, which is considered a misleading comparison and seems to serve merely a propaganda purpose. One reason for the inaccuracy of comparing maternal mortality rates in Iran with the global average is the alarming rates of such deaths in some countries, which skew the overall statistics. For example, in more than 18 African countries, the maternal mortality rate during childbirth ranges from 500 to 1,000 per 100,000 live births. In Afghanistan, maternal deaths occur at a rate of about 640 per 100,000 live births, which is significant. The high figures in these countries mean that despite low or negligible maternal mortality rates in many countries, the global average maternal mortality rate during childbirth remains above 200 per 100,000 live births and has not reached the global target of 70. The concept of maternal death during childbirth is officially defined as 'the death of a woman during pregnancy, childbirth, or within 42 days after the end of pregnancy, regardless of the duration and site of the pregnancy and regardless of whether the cause of death is related to the pregnancy or its management. Deaths due to accidents or intentional harm are not included in this group.' The report from the Statistical Center of Iran only states the maternal mortality rate during childbirth per 100,000 live births. The number of deaths is calculated based on the birth statistics for each year. The report emphasizes that maternal deaths due to COVID-19 during the pandemic are not included in the overall statistics. Regional and provincial statistics, pre-2017 data, and statistics detailing the causes of maternal deaths are not publicly available. Therefore, analyzing the temporal sequence, geographical distribution of the mortality rate, and its causes is not feasible. In global data, the latest available statistics from the World Bank regarding maternal deaths during childbirth date back to 2020. The statistics collected by international organizations are based on the official data provided by governments.