The World Health Organization (WHO) raised on Thursday the alarm about the dire state of maternal and neonatal health in Yemen, which it described as “devastating.”
The agency also underscored the urgent need for scaled-up interventions to save lives and protect the well-being of Yemen's most vulnerable.
“Decades of conflict and a spiraling humanitarian crisis have decimated Yemen's health system,” WHO said in a report issued on World Health Day 2025.
Its statistics painted a stark picture of suffering and loss. Figures showed that maternal mortality reached 183 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, a devastating regression in maternal health outcomes.
WHO said preventable complications such as hemorrhage and pre-eclampsia/eclampsia remain leading causes of maternal deaths, claiming the lives of women who should be experiencing the joy of motherhood.
It also noted that prematurity, asphyxia, pneumonia and sepsis contribute to unacceptably high neonatal mortality rates while malnutrition and anemia are rampant among women of reproductive age, jeopardizing their health and the health of their babies.
“The reality for mothers and newborns in Yemen is heartbreaking,” said acting WHO Representative in Yemen Dr Ferima Coulibaly-Zerbo.
“Behind these statistics are stories of immense hardship and loss. On this World Health Day, we cannot accept this as the status quo. We must act decisively and with unwavering commitment to ensure healthy beginnings and pave the way for hopeful futures,” Coulibaly-Zerbo added.
In this regard, WHO said it works tirelessly with health partners to deliver critical support and implement lifesaving interventions in Yemen, including strengthening surveillance systems to better understand and respond to maternal deaths and improving the quality of care in health facilities, ensuring access to skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric care.
It also works on providing essential medicines, equipment and supplies to health facilities and training, supporting midwives and other health care providers and addressing malnutrition through screening, counseling and supplementation programs.
WHO called on the international community to increase funding for maternal and neonatal health interventions, for the government and health authorities to prioritize and strengthen the health system and all stakeholders to work together to overcome barriers to access and ensure that every mother and newborn receives the care they need.
“The future of Yemen depends on the health and well-being of its mothers and children,” said Couliba-Zerbo. “Let World Health Day 2025 be a turning point, a moment when we collectively resolve to protect and invest in hopeful futures for all Yemenis,” she added.
