A new study published in The Lancet Global Health provides strong evidence that the global decline in maternal deaths over the past two decades has been largely driven by advances in both family planning and maternity care. The paper, titled “Effect of maternity care improvement, fertility decline, and contraceptive use on global maternal mortality reduction between 2000–2023” by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Human Reproduction Programme (HRP), re-examined data from 195 countries and territories to assess the impact of these factors. The findings show that global maternal mortality declined by 41% between 2000 and 2023, highlighting the importance of reproductive health interventions in saving lives.
The researchers analyzed what would have occurred if access to maternity care and family planning had not improved during this period, allowing them to determine each factor’s contribution to the reduction in maternal deaths. They found that 61.2% of the decline was due to improvements in maternity care, while 38.8% resulted from fertility reduction. Crucially, increased contraceptive use alone prevented an estimated 77,400 maternal deaths in 2023, demonstrating the life-saving impact of family planning alongside quality maternity care.
The paper also quantified the independent effect of contraception on maternal mortality, showing that access to family planning services directly prevents deaths by reducing unintended pregnancies and complications from unsafe abortions. Contraceptive use allows women to plan and space pregnancies safely, avoiding health risks associated with pregnancies that occur too early, too late, or too close together. This underscores that access to contraception is not only a matter of reproductive rights and empowerment but also a critical, evidence-based public health intervention.
The study emphasizes the urgent need to maintain and scale up investments in sexual and reproductive health and maternity care. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 3.1 target—to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030—will require stronger integration of family planning and maternal health services, particularly in low-income countries where contraceptive use remains limited. According to WHO’s Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health, Pascale Allotey, access to contraception and quality maternity care are essential not only for health but also for advancing gender equality and ensuring that every woman can plan her family and experience safe pregnancy and childbirth.
By quantifying the combined effects of maternity care and contraceptive use, the study sends a powerful message: continued global investment in family planning and maternal health is critical to saving lives, reducing preventable maternal deaths, and accelerating progress toward global health and equality goals.
