Urgent call for country leadership and global solidarity to End Maternal and Newborn Deaths by 2030

New York 29 April 2024 – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will join global leaders to call for renewed commitment towards progress on eradicating preventable maternal and newborn deaths at a 29 April event during the 57th Session of the Commission on Population and Development.

At this ministerial event, UNFPA and the Governments of Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sweden, Tanzania and the United Kingdom will celebrate national successes in improving maternal health outcomes; and call on governments to adopt midwifery models of care as the most cost-effective way to scale up maternal and newborn health services; and call for increased investment to speed up progress on maternal and newborn health.

UNFPA is calling for US$ 210 million by 2028 for its Maternal and Newborn Health Thematic Fund to catalyze national and global investments for high impact practices, expanded partnerships and empowered communities to dramatically reduce global maternal mortality and ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health care services. UNFPA estimates US $115.5 billion is needed to end preventable maternal deaths in 120 priority countries by 2030. This investment  would also have the added effect of reducing newborn deaths by 33 per cent and still births by 57 per cent.

Over the past two decades, significant strides have been made in improving maternal and newborn health worldwide, evidenced by a 34% decline in maternal mortality. However, midway on the journey to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), progress on reducing maternal mortality - and investment in sexual and reproductive health rights - have stagnated. Today, one woman and nearly five newborns still die every two minutes from preventable pregnancy and childbirth complications.

This demonstration of unity and global cooperation serves as a catalyst for new gains and as a vital precursor to the upcoming Summit of the Future at the UN General Assembly - where clear targets and commitments to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths must be included.

---

UN Correspondents: Register for the event here.

Speakers:

• Dr. Natalia Kanem, UNFPA Executive Director
• H.E. Dr. Rokeya Sultana, State Minister Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh
• H.E. Dr. Serge Emmanuel Holenn, Vice-Minister of Public Health, Hygiene and Prevention, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• H.E. Dr. Dereje Duguma, State Minister of Health, Ethiopia
• Hon. Ms. Aya Benjamin Warile, Minister of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare, South Sudan
• H.E. Mr. Johan Forssell, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Sweden 
• H.E. Mr. Nassor A Mazrui, Minister of Health, Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania 
• Rt. Hon. Mr. Andrew Mitchell, Minister of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), United Kingdom
• Ms. Susanne  Åhlund, Chief Midwifery Officer, Sweden
• Ms. Oluwatoyin Akinlade, Young Midwifery Leader, Nigeria
• Ms. Julia Bunting, UNFPA Programme Division Director
• Mr. Levi Singh, Regional Youth and Policy Officer, SRHR Africa Trust

Quotes from the organizers:

UNFPA Executive Director, Dr. Natalia Kanem

"Global progress in reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths has flatlined. Every two minutes, a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth. We urgently need scaled-up action and investment to deliver on every woman's fundamental right to safe motherhood. We know what works. We have proven, cost-effective solutions. Now, let's invest in them to save lives.”

H.E. Dr. Rokeya Sultana, State Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh

"Today, we stand on the brink of saving countless lives. While we've made substantial strides in Bangladesh, by reducing maternal mortality by over 70%, we must push further. With the support of this alliance and more investment from global partners, we can definitively end preventable maternal mortality."

H.E Hon. Aya Benjamin Warile, Minister of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare, South Sudan

"87% of women in South Sudan give birth at home. We are committed to ending preventable maternal deaths and we urgently need support to rapidly deploy trained midwives and scale up lifesaving interventions, especially in hard-to-reach areas.”

H.E. Johan Forssell, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Sweden

Sweden's resolute support to midwifery and towards ending maternal mortality underscores our dedication to human rights and freedoms through robust sexual and reproductive health and rights initiatives. We are proud to commit an additional 15 million USD to restore global efforts to end preventable maternal deaths.

H.E. Andrew Mitchell, Deputy Foreign Secretary and Minister for Development and Africa, the United Kingdom

“Sexual and reproductive health and rights are not just about individual well-being, it’s about building stronger, healthier communities. Our £5.83 million investment for a new UK programme will focus on the most marginalised women, strengthen capacity of local midwifery and support governments to create emergency transport systems for pregnant women. Together, we are building a brighter future where every mother and child has the chance to thrive”.

Every 2 minutes a woman dies from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. On Monday 29 April at the International Conference on Population and Development Deputy, Foreign Secretary, Andrew Mitchell will announce the UK’s new Maternal and Newborn Health programme which will lower maternal mortality by strengthening grassroots organisations, focus on the most marginalised women and increase capacity of local midwifery. It will also support Vodafone Foundation to set up an m-mama emergency transport system in Kenya by using mobile technology to connect pregnant women to care when they need it during pregnancy and childbirth. The programme follows other investments to UNFPA supporting maternal health through our core funding and supplies programme.

For interviews or more information, please contact:

Anna Jefferys: jefferys@unfpa.org +1 917 769 7454

Notes to editors

57th session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD57) 

The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) marked a crucial shift towards human rights and sustainable development. UNFPA's ongoing 30-year review (ICPD30) aligns with global events like the 2023 SDG Summit and the 2024 Summit of the Future. The 57th session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD57) in New York from April 29 to May 3, 2024, focuses on evaluating the ICPD Programme of Action's 30th-anniversary contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals. The event chaired by H.E. Noemí Espinoza Madrid aims to adopt a consensus-driven Political Declaration. For more information on ICPD, please visit: www.unfpa.org/icpd/icpd30

UNFPA and the Maternal and Newborn Thematic Health Fund (MHTF)

Maternal health remains a critical global challenge, with approximately 287,000 women dying from pregnancy-related causes in 2020 alone. Due to weak healthcare systems, poor quality care and the global healthcare worker crisis, compounded by humanitarian emergencies, every two minutes, a woman succumbs to maternal mortality, and for every death, 20 to 30 women and girls suffer severe maternal morbidity. The shortage of well-trained midwives is stark, with close to a million needed globally. UNFPA is a global leader in combating preventable maternal and newborn deaths. By collaborating with governments, health experts, and civil society worldwide, UNFPA spearheads initiatives to train health workers, enhance access to essential medicines and reproductive health services, fortify health systems, and advocate for international maternal health standards. Through its flagship Maternal and Newborn Health Thematic Fund, UNFPA actively champions the right to safe motherhood and supports innovative and catalytic interventions, aiming to ensure every woman receives quality care and support throughout the maternal health continuum. For more information about UNFPA’s maternal health work, please visit: https://www.unfpa.org/maternal-health