Every 50 minutes a woman dies in Pakistan due to pregnancy complications

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFP) expressed concerns over the reproductive health of females in Pakistan, noting that every 50 minutes, a woman dies due to the complications of pregnancy.

The UNFP unveiled its annual report on the State of the World Population 2024, titled “Interwoven Lives, Threads of Hope: Ending Inequalities in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights”. 

The report noted that if the current trend persists, Pakistan would take at least 122 years to eliminate maternal deaths. 

The report stressed the need for an inclusive approach to achieving progress to shrink the discrimination that continues to block broad gains on sexual and reproductive health for women and girls in the world. 

In Pakistan, less than 1 in 3 women can make decisions regarding sexual and reproductive health. Women with disabilities experience ten times more gender-based violence than their peers without disability. 

Addressing the report launching ceremony, Dr Luay Shabaneh, country representative of UNFP, said with over 50 percent of Pakistan’s population under 19, the country will face high risk if the youth are not able to exercise their right to good health.

He said, quoting findings of the report, that women and girls missed opportunities for Pakistan’s economy and society due to structural inequalities, and "most women have no access to health opportunities".

Universal health coverage remains low at only 21 percent in Pakistan, where every 50 minutes, a woman dies due to pregnancy complications and women in rural areas are less likely to get timely health care. 

If this pace continues, Pakistan will take 122 years to achieve the target of zero maternal deaths, and at least 93 years to fulfill the needs for family planning.