The Global Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Maternal Mortality

During the first full year of the COVID-19 pandemic, maternal and infant mortality rates increased for many countries while remaining steady and even declining in others, leading to questions regarding the common denominators that may have influenced access to maternal health care and safety. In addition to the three delays (i.e., a delay in seeking health care after the sudden onset of labor, a delay in reaching a health facility, and a delay in being assisted once the health facility is reached), Pearson’s correlation analysis of maternal health data from 20 countries revealed a significant negative relationship between midwives per 1,000 live births and maternal and infant mortality rates. Results suggest the critical importance of midwives, perhaps especially during pandemics and wartime when higher stress levels can compromise the health and safety of both new and expectant mothers and infants.