Fighting and access restrictions in and around the Yemeni city of Taiz have left more than 13,000 pregnant women without essential healthcare and are leading to more miscarriages, the United Nations Population Fund reported. All roads into the southwestern city have been closed, cutting off deliveries and pushing the healthcare system toward collapse.
New research shows that multiple micronutrient supplements during pregnancy significantly reduce the risk of maternal anaemia, stillbirth, and low birth weight. The supplements are beginning to be distributed in the countries with the highest maternal mortality rates.
A bipartisan campaign founded by philanthropists Olivia and Tom Walton announced a $100 million, 5-year commitment to make giving birth in the United States safer and reduce maternal mortality rates by half.
Maternal mortality rates have doubled in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as pregnant women avoid healthcare facilities due to fear and misinformation about the country's worst-ever Ebola outbreak, which has recorded over 3,600 cases as of late July 2026.
