Introduction

Maternal, infant, and child health are fundamental indicators of a nation’s overall well-being. However, there are factors across the globe that have been contributing to pregnant mothers death “Unintended Pregnancy and Abortion Worldwide” from the series Global and Regional Estimates of Unintended Pregnancy and Abortion states that preventable deaths remain alarmingly high, particularly in low-resource regions. Despite the factor of being a low source region, I am interrested in researching if gender violence is a factor of high mortality rates. In the article “Newborn mortality” from World Health Organization (WHO), infant mortality is especially critical, with the majority of deaths occurring within the first 28 days of life because of gender based violence. Addressing these challenges requires a global commitment to education about gender violence and how it can affect maternal health.

Methods

This study synthesizes data from multiple authoritative sources, including WHO, UNICEF, CDC, and The Lancet Global Health. Child mortality estimates from 2000–2021 were reviewed to assess long-term trends. Policy frameworks such as INSPIRE strategies and UN Women’s reports on gender-based violence were incorporated to understand social determinants of health. Comparative analysis was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions across regions, with particular attention to Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Results

Maternal Health: Pregnancy complications, including hemorrhage, hypertension, and infections, remain leading causes of maternal death (CDC).

Infant Mortality: Approximately 13,000 newborns die daily, with most deaths preventable through timely interventions (WHO).

Child Mortality: Pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria continue to be the top killers of children under five, disproportionately affecting low-income countries (Lancet, UNICEF).

Regional Trends: Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia carry the highest burden of mortality, with limited access to healthcare and preventive services (CME, WHO).

Social Factors: Femicide and unintended pregnancies exacerbate maternal health risks, highlighting the intersection of health and gender inequality (UN Women, Guttmacher).

Next Steps

The next steps for this research will be to:

Look into to more data bases on gender violence in Africa and Asia, and it impact on maternal and infant deaths.

In the meantime with the results that we did find, mortality rates seem to have many others factors that require access to skilled birth attendants, prenatal care, and emergency obstetric services.

There are need to be strengthen policies addressing unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and gender-based violence.

These regions need to scale up child health interventions, including vaccination programs, nutritional support, and clean water initiatives.

As I stated in my introduction, I still believe these regions need to invest in education and community empowerment to promote long-term health improvements.

Finally, the medical systems in these regions need to think of ways to better fund there health care delivery system by collaborating with regions who do have more sources.

Conclusion

While improving maternal, infant, and child health is a moral imperative, there are practical necessities for sustainable development. The evidence here shows that targeted interventions can drastically reduce preventable deaths.However, I am still interested in learning more about gender violence in these regions, so that we can observe all of the possible ways to protect all the mothers and children. Until then, sustained investment, global collaboration, and community-driven solutions are necessary for every mother and child to have the opportunity to survive and thrive.

Key References