{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T13:15:31Z","timestamp":1790774131388,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":131,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"20","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,12]],"date-time":"2022-10-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1665532800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: United Nations Sustainable Development Goals state that by 2030, the global maternal mortality rate (MMR) should be lower than 70 per 100,000 live births. MMR is still one of Africa\u2019s leading causes of death among women. The leading causes of maternal mortality in Africa are hemorrhage and eclampsia. This research aims to study regional trends in maternal mortality (MM) in Africa. Methods: We extracted data for maternal mortality rates per 100,000 births from the United Nations Children\u2019s Fund (UNICEF) databank from 2000 to 2017, 2017 being the last date available. Joinpoint regression was used to study the trends and estimate the annual percent change (APC). Results: Maternal mortality has decreased in Africa over the study period by an average APC of \u22123.0% (95% CI \u22122.9; \u22123,2%). All regions showed significant downward trends, with the greatest decreases in the South. Only the North African region is close to the United Nations\u2019 sustainable development goals for Maternal mortality. The remaining Sub-Saharan African regions are still far from achieving the goals. Conclusions: Maternal mortality has decreased in Africa, especially in the South African region. The only region close to the United Nations\u2019 target is the North African region. The remaining Sub-Saharan African regions are still far from achieving the goals. The West African region needs more extraordinary efforts to achieve the goals of the United Nations. Policies should ensure that all pregnant women have antenatal visits and give birth in a health facility staffed by specialized personnel.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph192013146","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,12]],"date-time":"2022-10-12T20:53:29Z","timestamp":1665608009000},"page":"13146","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":85,"title":["Maternal Mortality in Africa: Regional Trends (2000\u20132017)"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1792-4990","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luc","family":"Onambele","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Health Sciences, Catholic University of Central Africa, Yaound\u00e9 1110, Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5150-8937","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wilfrido","family":"Ortega-Leon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Epidemiology and Public Health Program, Department of Surgery, Medical and Social Sciences, University of Alcala de Henares, 28801 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4748-9520","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sara","family":"Guillen-Aguinaga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain"},{"name":"San Juan Health Center, Primary Health Care, Navarra Health Service, 31006 Pamplona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3935-962X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Jo\u00e3o","family":"Forjaz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Epidemiology Centre, Carlos III Health Institute, 28029 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"REDISSEC and REDIAPP, 28029 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7708-6370","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Amanuel","family":"Yoseph","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain"},{"name":"School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa P.O. Box 5, Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7594-6755","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Laura","family":"Guillen-Aguinaga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing, Cl\u00ednica Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3450-9342","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rosa","family":"Alas-Brun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1071-0984","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alberto","family":"Arnedo-Pena","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain"},{"name":"Epidemiology Division, Public Health Center, 12003 Castell\u00f3 de la Plana, Spain"},{"name":"Public Health and Epidemiology (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2882-930X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ines","family":"Aguinaga-Ontoso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain"},{"name":"Department of Preventive Medicine, Cl\u00ednica Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain"},{"name":"Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad P\u00fablica de Navarra (UPNA), Avda. de Baranain sn, 31008 Pamplona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9749-8076","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francisco","family":"Guillen-Grima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain"},{"name":"Department of Preventive Medicine, Cl\u00ednica Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain"},{"name":"Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), 31008 Pamplona, Spain"},{"name":"Center for Biomedical Research Network, Physiopathology of Obesity and CIBER-OBN, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (1992). 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