MANILA — The country's maternal mortality ratio decreased in 2022, a obstetrician-gynecologist said Friday.

Maternal mortality refers to deaths due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth or during the pregnancy or within 6 after end of pregnancy.

According to Dr. Maria Stephanie Fay Cagayan of the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society, the maternal mortality ratio declined to 104 per 100,000 live births in 2022.

She noted that maternal mortality ratio increased during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic from 100 per 100,000 live births in 2019 to 123 in 2020 and 212 in 2021. She cited data gathered by POGS.

• One woman dies every 2 minutes in pregnancy, childbirth: UN

In a virtual town hall forum organized by the Department of Health, Cagayan said the most common cause of maternal mortality was hypertensive disorders, with 31.1 percent.

It is followed by abnormalities of forces of labor and puerperium infections, both 8.7 percent, and postpartum hemorrhage, with 8.6 percent.

Other causes are maternal diseases, infectious and parasitic diseases, obstetric embolism and ectopic pregnancy, she said.

The country aims to reduce maternal mortality ration to 70 by 2030.

• Maternal deaths up in first 6 months of 2022: PSA

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