Global Maternal Health: Addressing Mortality, Inequity, and Sustainable Progress

This chapter examines the global burden of maternal mortality and morbidity, analyzing the leading direct and indirect causes of preventable maternal death and the persistent disparities in outcomes between high-income and low-and-middle-income countries. It critically reviews evidence-based interventions — including skilled birth attendance, emergency obstetric care, antenatal corticosteroid use, and uterotonic prophylaxis — alongside systemic strategies such as health system strengthening and community-based care models that have demonstrated impact at scale. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the role of digital health technologies, task-sharing frameworks, and global policy commitments in accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals for maternal health.