Approximately 800 women die unnecessarily every day from pregnancy and childbirth-related issues, predominantly in developing nations, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced on Thursday.
Guterres shared this statistic in his World Population Day message, observed every year on July 11.
This year is the 30th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action, and Guterres emphasized the need to accelerate efforts and investments to fulfill its promises.
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Noting the progress since the program’s adoption, Guterres highlighted that more women now have access to modern contraception and maternal deaths have decreased by 34% since 2000. He credited women’s movements and civil society for driving these changes.
However, Guterres cautioned that progress has been “unequal and unsteady,” and it is unacceptable that around 800 women still die unnecessarily every day from pregnancy and childbirth, mostly in developing countries.
In some areas, legislative progress on critical issues like female genital mutilation is at risk of regression, he added.
The theme for this year’s World Population Day, “Leave no one behind, count everyone,” underscores the importance of investing in data collection to understand problems, tailor solutions, and drive progress. Guterres urged countries to use this year’s Summit of the Future to unlock affordable capital for sustainable development.
“Let’s deliver on the ICPD Program of Action for everyone, everywhere,” he concluded.
