(Bandar Seri Begawan, 7th) Brunei's maternal mortality rate from 2018 to 2023 was equivalent to 0 to 32.4 per 100,000 deliveries, which is about 0 to 2 deaths per year.
The latest maternal mortality rate for 2023 is 15.9 per 100,000 deliveries, equivalent to 1 death per year.
This aligns with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.1, which aims to ensure a maternal mortality rate of less than 70 per 100,000 deliveries.
Health Minister Dato seri Setia Dr. Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar shared Brunei’s maternal mortality rate during the celebration of World Health Day.
The Minister stated that World Health Day is celebrated on April 7th every year by countries including Brunei to enhance awareness and commitment to community health and wellbeing.
The Minister stated that this year’s theme is "Health for All" which underscores the importance of initiating a healthy lifestyle as the foundation for a better future. This theme focuses on the health of mothers and newborns during the first month of life and further calls on governments and the health sector to intensify efforts to eliminate preventable maternal and newborn deaths and prioritize the long-term health and wellbeing of women.
The Minister stated that according to the latest data published by the World Health Organization, nearly 300,000 women worldwide die each year due to pregnancy or childbirth, over 2 million babies die within the first month after birth, and about 2 million babies are stillborn. This equates to one preventable death every seven seconds.
"More worryingly, at the current rate, it is reported that four-fifths of countries will be unable to achieve the target for improving maternal survival by 2030, and one-third of countries will not achieve the target for reducing infant mortality within the first month after birth."
The Minister said that in the past 50 to 69 years, Brunei has seen a significant decline in maternal and infant mortality rates.
"However, statistics show that further declines may not be easily achievable, especially with the increase of chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity among young women of childbearing age,"
The Minister warns that each pregnant woman diagnosed with a disease carries a high risk of giving birth to babies with congenital defects, stillbirths, or preterm births.
The Minister indicated that there is also a theory with strong evidence suggesting that exposure to these health conditions in utero makes the baby’s body prone to the same health problems as adults.
"This means that even if the baby is born full-term and appears healthy, there may be a 'program' already present in the baby's body, leading to an increased risk of cardiovascular, metabolic, or immune diseases in the future—this simply due to the uterine environment during the fetal period. If the family continues an unhealthy lifestyle as the baby grows, the situation could worsen.
The latest maternal mortality rate for 2023 is 15.9 per 100,000 deliveries, equivalent to 1 death per year.
This aligns with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.1, which aims to ensure a maternal mortality rate of less than 70 per 100,000 deliveries.
Health Minister Dato seri Setia Dr. Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar shared Brunei’s maternal mortality rate during the celebration of World Health Day.
The Minister stated that World Health Day is celebrated on April 7th every year by countries including Brunei to enhance awareness and commitment to community health and wellbeing.
The Minister stated that this year’s theme is "Health for All" which underscores the importance of initiating a healthy lifestyle as the foundation for a better future. This theme focuses on the health of mothers and newborns during the first month of life and further calls on governments and the health sector to intensify efforts to eliminate preventable maternal and newborn deaths and prioritize the long-term health and wellbeing of women.
The Minister stated that according to the latest data published by the World Health Organization, nearly 300,000 women worldwide die each year due to pregnancy or childbirth, over 2 million babies die within the first month after birth, and about 2 million babies are stillborn. This equates to one preventable death every seven seconds.
"More worryingly, at the current rate, it is reported that four-fifths of countries will be unable to achieve the target for improving maternal survival by 2030, and one-third of countries will not achieve the target for reducing infant mortality within the first month after birth."
The Minister said that in the past 50 to 69 years, Brunei has seen a significant decline in maternal and infant mortality rates.
"However, statistics show that further declines may not be easily achievable, especially with the increase of chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity among young women of childbearing age,"
The Minister warns that each pregnant woman diagnosed with a disease carries a high risk of giving birth to babies with congenital defects, stillbirths, or preterm births.
The Minister indicated that there is also a theory with strong evidence suggesting that exposure to these health conditions in utero makes the baby’s body prone to the same health problems as adults.
"This means that even if the baby is born full-term and appears healthy, there may be a 'program' already present in the baby's body, leading to an increased risk of cardiovascular, metabolic, or immune diseases in the future—this simply due to the uterine environment during the fetal period. If the family continues an unhealthy lifestyle as the baby grows, the situation could worsen.