Pregnancy kills: 500 victims every day / Facts / People’s Defense

Pregnancy should give life, but too often it brings death: almost 21 mothers die every hour and almost 500 every day due to complications in pregnancy or during childbirth. Deaths in vulnerable countries, which were preventable. These are some of the numbers contained in the global report “Interconnected lives, threads of hope: ending inequalities in sexual and reproductive health and rights”, published by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and presented today together with Aidos.

“It is estimated that over half of all preventable maternal deaths occur in countries affected by crises and conflicts. Almost 21 mothers die every hour and almost 500 every day – reported Massimo Diana, of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) , a life of humanitarian commitment from the former Yugoslavia to Sudan up to Ukraine, where today he heads the organization in Ukraine – In Yemen the situation is particularly disastrous: the maternal mortality ratio is estimated at 164 deaths per 100 thousand live births” .

In the study the impact of wars is photographed by default. The numbers are in fact updated to autumn 2023: the repercussions of the new flare-up of conflict in the Middle East and the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip are not taken into account, nor are the consequences deriving from the ongoing civil war in Sudan fully assessed. from one year. In this country, more than eight million people have already been forced to flee their homes by raids and fighting. “Pregnant women forced to migrate face immense challenges, including lack of access to maternal health services and greater exposure to gender violence – reports Diana – The precarious journey and stress of displacement can lead to complications during pregnancy and childbirth, increasing the risk of maternal and neonatal mortality”.

Unwanted pregnancies are decreasing, but disparities remain

However, in 30 years there has also been progress. Between the Cairo Conference and 2020, the report states, unwanted pregnancies reduced by 19 percent. Since 2000, however, the number of single mothers aged between 15 and 19 has decreased by a third. There are now 162 countries that have approved laws against domestic violence, while the rejection of laws that criminalize homosexuality is increasingly widespread. However, new data referring to 69 countries show continuing critical issues: one in four women cannot make independent choices in the sphere of health and one in four cannot refuse to have sexual intercourse requested by her husband or partner.

It is discussed in the Senate. “Despite there having been important progress in the field of sexual and reproductive health, we are witnessing stalemate situations and an increase in disparities and inequalities not only between countries but also within them” underlines Maria Grazia Panunzi, president of the Italian Women’s Association for development (Aidos), promoter of the presentation of the report. “The place where you are born is decisive for life or death, whether it is a rural or urban area, whether you live in a conflict situation or where there is a health system.” According to Panunzi, “it is precisely where conditions are most difficult that political choices must intervene through actions and resources”. Her message is also an appeal to the Italian government, which this year presides over the G7: “No woman should die from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth”.

Elena Ambrosetti, professor of Demography at La Sapienza University of Rome, also highlights disparities and calls for commitment. According to the teacher, “too many women in the world do not have access to basic sexual and reproductive health services due to inequalities related to ethnicity, immigration status, education, socioeconomic status, residence in rural or urban areas or to health status, as in the case of people with disabilities”.

Past and future, opportunities and risks return in the speech by Cecilia D’Elia, senator of the Democratic Party. “Progress is not linear” warns the parliamentarian. “In these 30 years there has been an improvement in the conditions of access for women to reproductive and sexual health but very profound territorial and social disparities still remain”. According to D’Elia, “the Cairo Conference changed the outlook on the demographic question by placing women’s rights at the centre”. However, this is the message to the Senate, and everyone’s commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind remains essential. (TO SAY)