The Facts
- A study by MBRRACE-UK — a program led by the UK's National Perinatal Epidemiology Unity at the University of Oxford — has found that the maternal mortality rate between 2020 and 2022 has reached a 20-year high of 13.41 deaths per 100K pregnancies.
- This is an increase from 8.79 in the prior three-year period and the greatest spike since 2003-2005, when the rate stood at 13.95 per 100K pregnancies. Removing deaths due to COVID complications, maternal mortality rates in 2020-2022 rose to 11.54.
- The data — based on all women who died during pregnancy or within six weeks after giving birth — has been released ahead of the MBRRACE-UK's Saving Lives, Improving Mothers' Care report, which is due to be published later in 2024.
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The Spin
Narrative A
The UK's worrying new report is only a single example within a wider global trend. The report lacks any silver lining and even sadly points toward drastically higher rates of maternal mortality within the UK's most deprived areas. While data is not uniform, maternal healthcare is in dire need of reform and repair worldwide, as governments continue to ignore what has remained a growing issue in recent years.
Narrative B
The UK government is undertaking a series of reforms in order to implement recommendations on improving maternity services. The state continues to turn numerous policies advised by independent investigations into a reality. As long as workforce and capital investment is sustainably secured, maternity services will only see an upward trend in the future.
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