Health Issues in Africa

Neonatal and Maternal Mortality

Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 182,000 maternal deaths in 2023 — 70% of the global total. A woman in the region is over 130 times more likely to die from pregnancy than one in Australia.

182,000
maternal deaths in sub-Saharan Africa (2023)
WHO, Trends in Maternal Mortality 2000–2023
70%
of global maternal deaths
WHO, 2024
130×
higher risk vs Australia/New Zealand
WHO, 2024
46%
of global newborn deaths
UN-IGME, 2025

↓ Falling but stalled since 2015

Maternal Mortality

Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 182,000 maternal deaths in 2023 — 70% of the global total — at an MMR of 454 per 100,000 live births, compared with 3 in Australia/New Zealand.

Newborn Mortality

4.9 million children died before age five globally in 2024. Sub-Saharan Africa’s under-five mortality rate of 71.6 per 1,000 is nearly 14 times higher than Europe/North America. The region accounts for approximately 46% of global newborn deaths and 47% of stillbirths.

Country Concentration

The highest maternal mortality ratios: Nigeria (MMR 993), Chad (748), South Sudan (692), Central African Republic (692).

Drivers

“A woman in sub-Saharan Africa is over 130 times more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth than a woman in Australia or New Zealand.”WHO, 2024