The report, co-authored by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group and the United Nations Population Division, tracks maternal deaths nationally, regionally, and globally from 2000 to 2020, and presents some significant progress in reducing maternal deaths between 2000 and 2015. However, gains largely stalled, or in some cases even reversed after 2016.

The United Nations Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG) – comprising WHO, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Bank Group and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (UNDESA/Population Division) has collaborated with external technical experts on a new round of maternal mortality estimates. The report presents internationally comparable global, regional and country-level estimates and trends for maternal mortality between 2000 and 2020

This report presents internationally comparable global, regional and country-level estimates and trends for maternal mortality between 2000 and 2017. Countries and territories included in the analyses are WHO Member States with populations over 100 000, plus two territories (Puerto Rico, and the West Bank and Gaza Strip). It also discusses the implications of the estimates for future efforts towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.1, and underlines the importance of improved data quality for estimating maternal mortality.

Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 Target 5A called for the reduction of maternal mortality ratio by three quarters between 1990 and 2015. It has been a challenge to assess the extent of progress due to the lack of reliable and accurate maternal mortality data - particularly in developing-country settings where maternal mortality is high. As part of ongoing efforts, the WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group and the United Nations Population Division updated estimates of maternal mortality for the years 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2015.

Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 Target 5A called for the reduction of maternal mortality ratio by three quarters between 1990 and 2015. It has been a challenge to assess the extent of progress due to the lack of reliable and accurate maternal mortality data - particularly in developing-country settings where maternal mortality is high. As part of ongoing efforts, the WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group and the United Nations Population Division updated estimates of maternal mortality for the years 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2015.

The United Nations Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction, known as the Human Reproduction Programme or HRP, has been providing the world with research findings and guidance on sexual health and reproduction (SRH) for more than half a century. This annual report highlights the programme’s key achievements in 2023, and points to major ongoing research that will be completed in the next few years.