One stillbirth occurs every 16 seconds, according to first-ever joint UN estimates COVID-19-related health service disruptions could worsen the situation, potentially adding nearly 200,000 more stillbirths over a 12-month period.
Almost 2 million babies are stillborn every year – or 1 every 16 seconds – according to the first-ever joint stillbirth estimates released by UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank Group, and the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
A majority of stillbirths could have been prevented with high quality monitoring, proper antenatal care and a skilled birth attendant.”
The report warns that the COVID-19 pandemic could worsen the global number of stillbirths. A 50 per cent reduction in health services due to the pandemic could cause nearly 200,000 additional stillbirths over a 12-month period in 117 low- and middle-income countries.
According to modeling done for the report by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 13 countries could see a 20 per cent increase or more in the number of stillbirths over a 12-month period.
From 2000 to 2019, the annual rate of reduction in the stillbirth rate was just 2.3 percent, compared to a 2.9 percent reduction in neonatal mortality, and 4.3 percent in mortality among children aged 1–59 months.
“The tragedy of stillbirth shows how vital it is to reinforce and maintain essential health services, and how critical it is to increase investment in nurses and midwives.”
The report also notes that stillbirth is not only a challenge for poor countries. In 2019, 39 high-income countries had a higher number of stillbirths than neonatal deaths and 15 countries had a higher number of stillbirths than infant deaths.
The report cites that Inuit populations in Canada, for example, have been observed to have stillbirth rates nearly three times higher than the rest of Canada, and African American women in the United States of America have nearly twice the risk of stillbirth compared to white women.
We are supporting countries in strengthening their health systems to prevent stillbirths and ensure that every pregnant woman can access quality health care services.”
