Africa is falling behind in its quest to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets for maternal and newborn health, with fresh evidence showing that maternal mortality remains alarmingly high in West and Central African countries.
The new 2025 report of the Lancet Countdown to 2030 for women's, children's, and adolescents' health: tracking progress on health and nutrition highlights a troubling slowdown in progress across the continent, prompting urgent calls by health experts for stronger data systems to inform policy and investment in reproductive and maternal health.