Maternal Mortality Trends in Kerala, India: A Descriptive Epidemiological Analysis

Background Kerala has achieved remarkable success in reducing maternal mortality rate (MMR) and stands as one of the high-performing states within India, with MMR approaching the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.1 target. This achievement reflects to the implementation of sustainable five-year plans that prioritize the strengthening of healthcare and infrastructure. The plans focus on maternal health, institutional delivery coverage and improving antenatal and obstetric care. Methods The study employs a descriptive epidemiological design to analyse trends in maternal mortality across Kerala. Data were collected from three sources: the Sample Registration System (SRS), the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) and Health at Glance: Kerala Annual Health Reports. These sources provided comprehensive information on mortality trends, service coverage indicators and district-level variations over the study period. Results The findings shows that a consistent reduction in maternal mortality is seen for the last ten years from 2014–2024 across Kerala. However, significant district-level variations persist which are driven by socio-economic and geographic disparities. These disparities cause a gap in the quality of care. Conclusion While Kerala has made notable reduction in the maternal health system by implementing programmes there persist challenges. Further efforts are required to bring down the maternal mortality and to reach universal health coverage. Reducing district-level inequalities and providing quality care ensures fair maternal healthcare delivery which results in low maternal mortality.