Maternal mortality in Ukraine has increased by 37% during the war of Russians – UNFPA

“Our latest analysis shows a sharp deterioration in maternal health across Ukraine, with more women at risk of dying and more pregnancies ending in life-threatening complications,” Florence Bauer, the agency’s director for Eastern Europe, said in a statement.

According to Bauer, more women are at risk of dying, and pregnancies more frequently end in life-threatening complications. These figures reflect the pressure on the healthcare system and the stress families are living under.

“These are not abstract statistics – they are people and families living under unbearable stress and reflect a health system under attack,” she added.

The number of pregnant women with serious complications has also risen: cases of uterine rupture increased by 44%, and hypertensive disorders by 12%.

The UNFPA added that since the start of the full-scale invasion:

• Over 80 maternity and neonatal facilities have been damaged or destroyed.

• A total of over 2,760 medical institutions across the country have been affected.

Experts explained that strikes on hospitals and the destruction of critical medical services are forcing women to give birth in increasingly dangerous conditions.

Bauer emphasized that safe childbirth must remain protected even during war, and international humanitarian law prohibits targeting medical facilities or healthcare workers.

To provide background, in 2024, 495,090 deaths were registered in Ukraine, which is 2.8 times higher than the number of registered births — 176,679.