Known fixes, missing action: Why safe childbirth still slips in Africa

Experts argue that the continent’s maternal mortality crisis is less about a lack of medical knowledge and more about gaps in accountability.[File,Standard].

Every day, women across Africa die from preventable pregnancy and childbirth complications, despite decades of medical progress.

Yet experts now argue that the continent’s maternal mortality crisis is less about a lack of medical knowledge and more about gaps in leadership, coordination, and accountability.

According to UNICEF, an estimated 260,000 women globally died from pregnancy and childbirth complications in 2023, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for the majority of these deaths.

In Kenya, maternal mortality estimates range between 355 and 530 deaths per 100,000 live births, far above the global target of fewer than 70 per 100,000.