Topic: 2025 – Maternal Mortality
Country: Pakistan
Delegate Name: Stella Yakima
Pakistan is a parliamentary government but the army chief has the most control. The military predominantly runs the country and influences every aspect of its functions. The military rule limits the development of democracy as well as fundamental rights which poses a threat to civilians. There is a roughly equal number of men to women in Pakistan and the dominating religion is Sunni Islam with a Shia minority.
Maternal Mortality is an issue worldwide however in developing countries, it is shown to be more of an issue due to factors such as poverty, lack of education, and gender inequality. The death of a mother leads to a higher likelihood that her child will not reach their first birthday and if they do, it is likely that their future will be jeopardized by mental disorders and family problems. A high number of maternal deaths is also a sign of a failing healthcare system which affects everyone, not just women.
In Pakistan, the maternal mortality rate is 155 per 100,000 live births as of 2024 according to the World Health Organization, this is very high and as a nation with a lower-middle class economy, big problems arise when high numbers of people die. Women play important roles in the economy, they hold jobs in child and elder care as well as working domestically and taking care of the home. Every time a mother dies, her family is put through extreme more and more hardships. Oftentimes, funerals can push a family into financial ruin and traditionally, women do all the cooking, therefore , when she dies , her family will go hungry. Maternal mortality also strains healthcare as well as pushing women into silence which furthers gender inequality.
The Pakistani government has already implemented multiple midwifery programs to help women and children during childbirth such as the Lady Health Worker Program which provides basic medical help to women and children at the community level. Another very effective program is the Community Midwife Program which offers help to women in rural areas with cheap and skilled workers; they serve women from all economic classes, ages, and geographic locations.
In order to help women survive it is necessary that the UN as a whole comes together and contributes to the funding of education for women especially in rural areas. This will in turn provide proper midwives to before, during, and after childbirth which will slow the maternal mortality rate.
Works Cited
Administrator. “Every Day, 675 Newborns and 27 Mothers Die in Pakistan – WHO Calls for Urgent Action.” World Health Organization – Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, 2025, www.emro.who.int/pak/pakistan-news/every-day-675-newborns-and-27-mothers-die-in-pakistan-who-calls-for-urgent-action.html.
—. “Every Day, 675 Newborns and 27 Mothers Die in Pakistan – WHO Calls for Urgent Action.” World Health Organization – Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, 2025, www.emro.who.int/pak/pakistan-news/every-day-675-newborns-and-27-mothers-die-in-pakistan-who-calls-for-urgent-action.html.
Human Rights Watch. “World Report 2025: Rights Trends in Pakistan.” Human Rights Watch, 12 Dec. 2024, www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/pakistan.
Siddiqui, Deena, and Tazeen Saeed Ali. “The Importance of Community Midwives in Pakistan: Looking at Existing Evidence and Their Need during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Midwifery, vol. 106, Mar. 2022, p. 103242, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2021.103242.
—. “The Importance of Community Midwives in Pakistan: Looking at Existing Evidence and Their Need during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Midwifery, vol. 106, Mar. 2022, p. 103242, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2021.103242.
