Lancet study shows challenge before India in meeting 2030 maternal mortality goals

While MMR fell from 508 per l lakh live births in 1990 to 116 in 2023, the progress has slowed, pulled down by states such as Assam and UP

4 min readPuneUpdated: Apr 1, 2026 04:11 AM IST

When myth kills: A young woman's death during childbirth at home is a wake-up call for Kerala society

While the country has successfully brought down maternal mortality numbers from 1.19 lakh in 1990 to 36,900 in 2015 and 24,700 in 2023, the progress has slowed. (File Photo)

A recent study in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, and Women’s Health journal shows the challenge before India in meeting the Sustainable Development Goal of bringing down the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) to below 70 deaths per 1 lakh live births by 2030.

While the country has successfully brought down maternal mortality numbers from 1.19 lakh in 1990 to 36,900 in 2015 and 24,700 in 2023, the progress has slowed. As per the study, ‘Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors’, while the MMR in India stood at 508 in 1990, it was down to 116 deaths per lakh live births in 2023.

India accounted for one-tenth of all maternal mortality numbers in 2023, the study says, putting the total deaths globally at 2.4 lakh.

The study also shows that 100 of the 204 countries and territories covered had reached the 2030 SDG target of below-70 MMR by 2023. Of the 104 not yet meeting the target, 15 had MMR in the range of 70 to 100, 16 between 100 and 140 (including India), and 73 MMR greater than 140.

Apart from India, the countries struggling to meet the SDG 2030 target include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Pakistan.

Given the low starting point, India, however, remains among countries to have seen the most substantial improvement in MMR since 1990, along with Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nepal and Rwanda.

Maternal mortality is defined as deaths due to obstetric complications or comorbid disorders exacerbated by pregnancy, up to 1 year after the end of the pregnancy, irrespective of the method by which pregnancy ended.

Story continues below this ad

Dr Anjali Radkar, a demographer and former Professor and Head, Centre for the Study of Social Inclusion, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, says that within India, while the South and some states are on course to achieving the SDG target by 2030, the overall MMR is being pulled down by states such as Assam and Uttar Pradesh.

As per the Sample Registration System (SRS), which is the major source of fertility and mortality rates in India, while India’s MMR declined from 122 per one lakh live births in 2015-17 to 88 in 2021-2023, MMR in Assam came down from 215 to 110 in the same period, and in UP, from 197 to 141, Radkar pointed out.

The demographer advised targeted action, including by strengthening primary healthcare systems, with a focus on maternal and child health. “When child mortality declines, fertility rates tend to decrease as well. Lower fertility in turn, contributes to a reduction in maternal mortality… This integrated approach can play a key role in reducing MMR,” she said, adding that unless maternal mortality was reduced, the global SDG goals for maternal health would also remain out of reach.

At the same time, experts at the International Institute for Population Sciences pointed to the possibly flawed presentation in the study, grouping smaller countries with India. “Because India has a much larger number of births, comparing absolute maternal death numbers with countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Nigeria is not appropriate,” Dr Nandita Saikia, a professor at the institute, said.

Story continues below this ad

Pointing out that MMR was 565 for Congo compared to 116 for India, Saikia said: “Remember that India had about 23.22 million births in 2023 against 4.37 million in Congo… In India’s case, wide demographic diversity further adds to the complexity and may affect the accuracy of such comparison.”

Saikia also pointed to different numbers for maternal mortality calculated for India by the United Nations Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group and the SRS for 2023, at 80 and 88, respectively.

As per the Lancet study, haemorrhage and hypertensive disorders – easily preventable – accounted for nearly half (above 40%) of the maternal deaths in 2023. Setbacks to general healthcare during Covid are believed to have played a role in the slide seen in 2020-21.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories

Tags:
Lancet

Loading Recommendations...

Apr 10: Latest News

Live Blog