Maternal mortality due to childbirth in Azerbaijan has nearly doubled. Reasons…

Reports indicate that in 2023, maternal mortality related to childbirth in Azerbaijan almost doubled suddenly. The State Statistics Committee's statistical compilation, "Children in Azerbaijan," highlights that 33 maternal deaths were recorded last year, compared to 18 in 2022. This is considered the highest figure in the past 13 years. Additionally, it is noted that maternal mortality per 1,000 live births rose from 14.7 to 29.3.

In a June hearing in the National Assembly on "The Model of a Healthy Family and Marriage Rights," Aynura Zeynalova, head of the maternal and child health sector at the Ministry of Health, stated that women more frequently die during childbirth in their second or third pregnancies.

The Management Union of Medical Territorial Units (TƏBİB) informed Turan that analyses show maternal deaths mostly result from extragenital pathologies: "Globally and in Azerbaijan, the main causes of maternal deaths are hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, infectious diseases in the postpartum period, complications from abortion, thromboembolism, and extragenital diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and HIV infections."

It was emphasized that maternal deaths occur mostly in the postpartum period: "Pregnant women in high-risk groups should always be closely monitored and seek antenatal care in a timely manner. Pregnant women should undergo timely examinations. The most effective strategies to reduce maternal mortality include improving antenatal services, early detection, hospitalization, and treatment of high-risk pregnancies."

Mehriban Zeynalova, chairperson of the "Clean World" Women's Aid Public Union, also told Azadlıq Radio that sometimes women do not go for checkups in time: "If tests are paid for, they tend to be expensive. True, there is mandatory health insurance, and services there are free for vulnerable groups for now. Nevertheless, people still lack sufficient information on this, and demand for free examinations creates long queues, deterring pregnant women from getting these checkups."

According to the expert, recently, women have begun opting for home births: "This could have an impact too. Although the law prohibits this, women are turning to it."

Zeynalova believes that the presence of social workers in this area is essential: "The family situation needs to be assessed. Around the world, women are monitored by social workers during pregnancy. We don’t have this here. The second issue is that in the past, doctors used to visit homes to check on newborns. Now, this is insufficient."

She also highlights that the diet of pregnant women, as well as the quality of drinking water, has an impact.