Context: Recently, released Lancet Global Health Journal highlighted the failure of the health system to cope with Covid-19 pandemic resulted in an increase in maternal deaths and stillbirths.
About Report

• The Lancet report is based on an analysis of 40 studies across 17 countries. It includes Brazil, Mexico, the U.S., Canada, U.K, Denmark, Netherlands, Italy, India, China, and Nepal.
• The report provides a clear indication that the health of women and babies experienced worse outcomes due to the pandemic.

Key Findings

Risk of maternal mortality during pregnancy or childbirth increased by more than a third compared with pre-pandemic instances.

• Reasons: Global lockdowns, disruption in maternal health services, reduction in health seeking behaviour and fear of getting infected from health providers added to pregnancy risks and led to worsened health outcomes for women and childrens.

The chances of stillbirth have also increased by more than 28% compared with pre-pandemic instances.

• Stillbirth: It means a baby born with no signs of life at 28 weeks of pregnancy or more.
• The study also focussed on the maternal mental health. It has found an increase in postnatal depression, maternal anxiety or both during pandemic.

Indian Scenario

During the months of national lockdown in 2020 between April and June, compared to the same period in 2019, there was:

• 27% drop in pregnant women receiving four or more ante-natal check-ups.
• 28% decline in institutional deliveries.
• 22% decline in prenatal services.

Road Ahead

• Policymakers and healthcare leaders must urgently investigate robust strategies for preserving safe and respectful maternity care.
• Also, take Immediate actions to avoid rolling back decades of investment in reducing mother and infant mortality in low-resource settings.
• The personnel for maternity services not be redeployed for other critical and medical care during the pandemic and in response to future health system shocks.