Maternal health remains one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time with progress stalling. While millions of lives have been saved since 2000, far too many women, particularly in low- and middle-income countries still face preventable risks during pregnancy and childbirth. In sub-Saharan Africa, where the burden is highest (WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group and UNDESA/Population Division 2023), the challenge is compounded by fragile health systems, gaps in essential supplies, and persistent inequities in leadership.
We sat down with Yasmin Chandani, CEO InSupply Health and our 2024 East Africa Leadership Journey global fellow who reflects on the trends, barriers, and bold actions needed to accelerate progress toward ending preventable maternal deaths.
What are the latest trends in maternal deaths? Are we seeing progress or regression globally and in Africa?
Maternal mortality remains unacceptably high. In 2023 alone, approximately 260,000 women died globally due to complications of pregnancy and childbirth. That’s more than 700 women every day, or one every two minutes (WHO, 2025).
While there has been a 40% decline in maternal mortality since 2000, progress has slowed dramatically in recent years. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to carry the highest burden, accounting for 70% (182,000) of all maternal deaths in 2023, followed by southern Asia at 17%. Over 90% of these deaths occur in low- and lower-middle-income countries, where fragile health systems, limited access to care, and frequent stockouts of essential maternal and reproductive health commodities remain significant barriers.
Ensuring resilient, responsive supply chains and data systems to consistently deliver a full range of reproductive and maternal health products is central to turning these numbers around. Equally important is inclusive, gender-responsive leadership. This entails advocating for transforming health leadership so that the people closest to these issues, particularly women, are the ones shaping policies, programs, and priorities.
What are the key drivers behind maternal mortality today? Which health system, societal, or policy factors are contributing the most?
Maternal mortality is often linked to the “Three Delays”: delay in seeking care, reaching care and receiving quality care once at a facility
These delays are rooted in deeper systemic issues including frequent stockouts of life-saving maternal and family planning commodities, fragmented services between maternal and reproductive health programs, and weak data systems, preventing timely response to gaps. Other barriers include societal and policy gaps ranging from low awareness and limited agency, particularly among adolescents, to stigma around contraception, underinvestment in community-based delivery and fragmented financing.
For example, nearly 1 in 5 women of reproductive age in sub-Saharan Africa still have an unmet need for modern contraception (UNFPA, 2024), driving unsafe abortions, unintended pregnancies, and high-risk births.
To change this, technical fixes are important but insufficient; we need gender-intentional systems leadership. Programs that equip women leaders with the tools, space and influence to drive systems change can yield efficiency, greater equity and dignity in care. Systems improve when leadership reflects the diversity of those served.
What should be done to reduce maternal deaths effectively and sustainably? What practical, proven interventions should be prioritized?
Reducing maternal mortality sustainably requires a whole-systems approach that combines clinical care with underlying enablers of access and equity. Proven, high-impact interventions include: securing continuous access to maternal health commodities and modern contraceptives by strengthening procurement, forecasting, and delivery systems; integrating family planning into antenatal and postnatal care; investing in real-time data visibility through digital tools and dashboards, and expanding access at the last mile across public and private sectors such as via community health workers and pharmacies, especially in rural areas.
Evidence shows that when local health workers and managers are supported to use data, collaborate across sectors, and design solutions that center users, particularly women, systems perform better. But these systems must also be shaped and led by women.
To achieve this, we must invest in women’s leadership in health supply chain management, a field largely dominated by men. Programs such as the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey, for instance, are equipping mid-career women with the mentorship, skills and voice they need to lead from where they are, and rise.
When it comes to leadership, what has worked in countries that have achieved or are close to achieving a 50% reduction in maternal deaths?
Countries such as Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Senegal, which have made major strides in reducing maternal deaths, share common traits in leadership. These countries stand out as exemplars for a number of reasons, including clear political will and committed, sustained financing for maternal and reproductive health; strategic integration of family planning into broader health goals; decentralized systems that allow local tailoring of supply chain and outreach strategies; and accountability driven by data use and transparency
Local leadership, when informed by accurate data and given the autonomy to act, has proven transformative in building resilient supply chain systems and improving care delivery. But the impact is even greater when leadership is diverse and gender inclusive.
Across Africa, there is growing recognition that better health outcomes follow when women lead. Yet women, especially from low- and middle-income countries, remain underrepresented in senior health roles. We need to address this leadership gap by supporting emerging women leaders in global health, including supply chain professionals, clinicians, and policymakers, to rise, lead, and drive systemic change.
This interview first appeared on RFI international