INSIDER
2 million stillbirths every year, pandemic might worsen toll
Read full article: 2 million stillbirths every year, pandemic might worsen toll(AP) – The World Health Organization, UNICEF and partners said there are about 2 million stillbirths every year, mostly in the developing world, according to the first-ever global estimates published Thursday. The U.N. health agency said that last year three of every four stillbirths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa or Southern Asia. The report warned that the coronavirus pandemic could worsen the global toll, estimating that a 50% reduction in health services during the pandemic could result in an additional 200,000 stillbirths in the next year in 117 developing countries. About half of stillbirths in sub-Saharan Africa and central Asia occur during labour, versus about 6% in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. For example, in Canada, the report found that Inuit women suffer stillbirth rates nearly three times higher than the rest of Canada.