A Neglected Tragedy The global burden of stillbirths
Report of the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, 2020
UnUnitedited Natatioionsns This report was prepared by Danzhen You, Lucia Hug and Anu Mishra at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); Hannah Blencowe at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; and Allisyn Moran at the World Health Organization (WHO). It was prepared on behalf of the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) and its Core Stillbirth Estimation Group (CSEG).
Organizations and individuals involved in stillbirth estimation work
UN IGME agencies United Nations Children’s Fund Lucia Hug, Anu Mishra, Sinae Lee, Danzhen You
World Health Organization Allisyn Moran, Kathleen Louise Strong, Bochen Cao
World Bank Group Emi Suzuki
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division Victor Gaigbe-Togbe
Core Stillbirth Estimation Group, UN IGME Technical Advisory Group, UN IGME Leontine Alkema, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Leontine Alkema, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Dianna M. Blau, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (United States) Robert Black, Johns Hopkins University Hannah Blencowe, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Simon Cousens, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Simon Cousens, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Trevor Croft, Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program, ICF Andreea Creanga, Johns Hopkins University Michel Guillot, University of Pennsylvania and French Institute for Trevor Croft, Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program, ICF Demographic Studies (INED) Kenneth Hill (Chair), Stanton-Hill Research Kenneth Hill (Chair), Stanton-Hill Research K. S. Joseph, University of British Columbia and the Children’s Bruno Masquelier, University of Louvain and Women’s Hospital and Health Centre of British Columbia Colin Mathers, University of Edinburgh Salome Maswime, University of Cape Town Jon Pedersen, Mikro! Elizabeth McClure, RTI International Jon Wakefield, University of Washington Robert Pattinson, University of Pretoria Neff Walker, Johns Hopkins University Jon Pedersen, Mikro! Others Lucy K. Smith, University of Leicester Jennifer Zeitlin, Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), France Zhengfan Wang, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Miranda Fix, University of Washington
Special thanks to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for supporting UN IGME’s stillbirth estimation work and to the foundation’s Amy Pollack, Kate Somers and Savitha Subramanian for their inputs. Thanks also to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (United Kingdom) for helping to initiate this work. In addition, many government agencies provided essential data and valuable feedback through the country consultation process.
Thanks also to the Global Network for Women’s and Children’s Health, the Euro-Peristat network, the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance program and the Alliance for Maternal and Newborn Health Improvement for providing data, to Karen Avanesyan, Chris Coffey, Jing Liu, Yang Liu, Anne Rerimoi and Zitong Wang for their support in data processing and Guiomar Bay and Helena Cruz Castanheira from the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Population Division for their support. Thanks also go to Emily Carter, Victoria Chou and Neff Walker from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University for providing estimates of indirect impact of COVID-19 pandemic on stillbirths.
We would also like to extend special thanks to UNICEF and WHO field office colleagues at UNICEF for supporting the country consultations.
Special thanks also to Tedbabe Degefie Hailegebriel, Gagan Gupta and Najaf Zahra for providing valuable inputs to the report and to Vidhya Ganesh, Mark Hereward, Luwei Pearson, Yanhong Zhang, Lisa Adelson, Kurtis Albert Cooper, Karoline Hassfurter, Jacob Hunt, Yves Jaques, Laura Mhairi Anne Kerr, Daniele Olivetti, Sabrina Sidhu, David Sharrow, Anshana Ranck, Brian Sokol, Aleksi Tzatzev and Cecilia Silva Venturini at UNICEF; Anshu Banerjee, Olive Cocoman, Theresa Diaz and Ann-Beth Moller at WHO; Susannah Hopkins Leisher from the International Stillbirth Alliance; and Mary Kinney from Save the Children for their feedback and support.
Naomi Lindt edited the report. Sinae Lee laid out the report. Yasmine Hage and Baishalee Nayak fact checked the report.
Photo credits Cover page: © UNICEF/UN0283747/Tanhoa Copyright © 2020 by the United Nations Children’s Fund ISBN: 978-92-806-5141-6
The United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) constitutes representatives of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank Group and the United Nations Population Division. UN IGME stillbirth estimates were reviewed by countries through a country consultation process but are not necessarily the official statistics of United Nations Member States, which may use a single data source or alternative rigorous methods.
The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNICEF, WHO, the World Bank Group or the United Nations Population Division concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Dotted lines on maps represent approximate border lines for which there may not yet be full agreement. United Nations Children’s Fund World Bank Group 3 UN Plaza, New York, New York, 10017 USA 1818 H Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20433 USA
World Health Organization United Nations Population Division Avenue Appia 20, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland 2 UN Plaza, New York, New York, 10017 USA A Neglected Tragedy The global burden of stillbirths
Report of the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation 2020
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 A GLOBAL HEALTH PROBLEM 9 ENORMOUS BURDEN AND LOSS 20 SLOW PROGRESS IN PREVENTING STILLBIRTHS 31 THE FUTURE WE WANT THE WAY FORWARD: ESSENTIAL ACTIONS 41 AND RECOMMENDATIONS 53 ANNEX A woman experiencing labour pain from West Bengal, India, waits for the doctor. © UNICEF/UNI194346/Kaur A GLOBAL HEALTH PROBLEM 3 A Global Health Problem
One stillbirth occurs every 16 seconds. This means to 0.38. In sub-Saharan Africa, the number of that every year, about 2 million babies are stillborn. stillbirths is rising: They increased from 0.77 million This loss reaches far beyond the loss of life. The in 2000 to 0.82 million in 2019, as the growth in total psychological costs, such as maternal depression, are births outpaced the decline in the region’s stillbirth profound, not to mention the financial consequences rate. And in some high-income countries – despite for parents and long-term economic repercussions very low levels of neonatal mortality – more stillbirths for society.1 Though the difficult impacts on families than neonatal deaths occur, and in some cases, even – and most especially on women – are severe and surpass the number of infant deaths. long lasting, stigma and taboo hide the hardship of stillbirths, even in high-income countries.2 Slow progress in preventing stillbirths means the losses have been enormous. In the past two But this traumatic loss of life remains a neglected decades, the world suffered a total of 48 million issue. Stillbirths are largely absent in worldwide data stillbirths. If current trends continue, an additional 20 tracking, rendering the true extent of the problem million stillbirths will take place before 2030, placing hidden. They are invisible in policies and programmes immense and unjust strain on women, families and and underfinanced as an area requiring intervention. society. Targets specific to stillbirths were absent from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)3 and are Preventable losses still missing in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.4 Why are we losing so many babies before they take their first breath? Why is progress in reducing the A growing public health issue stillbirth rate so slow? There are a variety of reasons: absence of or poor quality of care during pregnancy Over the past two decades, progress in lowering the and birth; lack of investment in preventative stillbirth rate has not kept pace with achievements interventions and the health workforce; inadequate in saving mothers’ lives or those of newborns in the social recognition of stillbirths as a burden on families; first 28 days of life. In the first two decades of this measurement challenges and major data gaps; century, the annual rate of reduction in the stillbirth absence of global and national leadership; and no rate was just 2.3 per cent, compared to a 2.9 per established global targets, such as the Sustainable cent reduction in neonatal mortality and 4.3 per cent Development Goals (SDGs). among children aged 1–59 months.5 Meanwhile, between 2000 and 2017, maternal mortality What makes these deaths even more tragic is that decreased by 2.9 per cent.6 the majority could have been prevented with high- quality monitoring and care antenatally7 and at birth.8, Available data demonstrate that stillbirths are an 9, 10 Over 40 per cent of all stillbirths occur during increasingly critical global health problem. In 2000, labour – a loss that could be avoided with improved the ratio of the number of stillbirths to the number of monitoring and timely access to emergency obstetric under-five deaths was 0.30; by 2019, it had increased care when required. A Neglected Tragedy: The global burden of stillbirths 4
A call to action from routine registration despite functioning systems. While household surveys provide important The health community recognizes the urgent need to information on child mortality, most suffer from prevent stillbirths; the issue has become an essential substantial data quality issues when it comes to 13 part of global child survival initiatives and goals. stillbirth. Omission of events and misclassification The United Nations’ Global Strategy for Women’s, between stillbirths and early neonatal deaths Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (2016–2030) are common, posing challenges to accurate includes stillbirths in its vision, “An end to preventable measurement. In addition, the definition of stillbirth maternal, newborn, child and adolescent deaths and varies across settings and over time, limiting data stillbirths”, and urges for stillbirths to be prioritized.11 comparability. Measures to improve the accuracy of The Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP), which was stillbirth data are needed in all settings. endorsed by 194 WHO Member States, calls for each country to achieve a rate of 12 stillbirths or fewer per Poor data availability and quality require innovative 1,000 total births by 2030 and to reduce equity gaps, methodological work to understand the global particularly in countries that have already met the picture of stillbirths. The UN Inter-agency Group stillbirth target.12 for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), together with its Technical Advisory Group and Core Stillbirth The stillbirth rate is a sensitive indicator of quality of Estimation Group, has developed robust methods care in pregnancy and childbirth and a marker of a to estimate stillbirths. Though these estimates are health system’s strength.2 International organizations, vital to addressing the neglected burden of stillbirths, governments and other partners must act urgently to in many countries, they remain highly uncertain. avert stillborn deaths and ensure that every woman Precise, high-quality and complete data on stillbirths is being supported through pregnancy and childbirth are needed to develop and evaluate targeted national by trained health care providers. Stakeholders can strategies. Without these data, the efficacy of policy demand health care for all to fulfil the promise of initiatives cannot be shown, depriving citizens of the universal health coverage and help keep every child information they need to advocate for better health alive. and social policies and protect their families. The need for high-quality data The overlooked tragedy of stillbirths demands urgent attention. To prevent stillbirths, we need Timely, accurate recording and counting of stillbirths to provide data and evidence to answer various is essential to understanding the scale and geographic questions. Where are stillbirths occurring? Where distribution of the problem and working to solve it. has progress been made? Which countries must However, many countries do not have a functioning accelerate progress? What must be done to stop this health management information system (HMIS) unnecessary loss of life? By outlining the picture of or civil registration vital statistics system to collect the global burden of stillbirths, this UN IGME report these data; in other settings, stillbirths are excluded sets out to answer these questions and inform the way forward. STILLBIRTH: Key facts and figures
The burden of stillbirths is enormous, but overlooked.
Globally, Globally,1 baby 1is baby stillborn is stillborn every every 16 16 seconds seconds nearly 4 every minute over 200 every hour nearly 5,400 every day nearly 164,000 every month nearly 2 million a year
3 in 4 stillbirths LowLow and andlower-middle lower-middle In the past two decades, Three in four stillbirths Low and lower-middle income In the past two decades 3 in 4 stillbirths 48 million babies occur occur inin sub-Saharan sub-Saharan Africa countriescountriescountries account account account for for 85% for occur in sub-Saharan were48 million stillborn babies Africa oror Southern Southern Asia Asia 84%of 85%all of stillbirthsall of stillbirths all stillbirths were stillborn Africa or Southern Asia
but butonly only 65% 62% of of all all live live births
The burden of stillbirth is enormous, but overlooked.
Most stillbirths are Most stillbirths are Half of the stillbirths Over 40% of stillbirths preventable with life-saving occur after the onset of preventable with life-saving interventions and labour. occur after the onset of interventionshigh-quality and healthhigh- care. labour quality health care
For every woman and baby, qualityFor every carewoman and and support baby, quality care and support
Note: Unless otherwise noted, statements and data refer to the year 2019 through this report. Acceleration in progress is urgently needed. Acceleration in progress is urgently needed.
56 countries are at risk to miss the ENAP target of 12 or fewer stillbirths per 1,000 total births by 2030
20 million babies areIf projectedcurrent trends to be continue stillborn 19 in million the next decade, if trendsbabies observed are projectedbetween 2000to be stillbornand 2019 in 2030 in reducing the stillbirththe rate next continue decade
Among the 20 million, 2.9 million stillbirths could be Among the 19 million, 2.9 million prevented by acceleratingstillbirths progress could to be meet prevented the ENAP by target in the 56 countriesaccelerating at risk to progress miss the to goal meet targets in all countries 7 A Global Health Problem
How do we define stillbirths?
A stillbirth is defined as a baby born with no underestimates the real burden of stillbirths, signs of life after a given threshold, usually since it excludes stillbirths occurring at earlier related to the gestational age or weight of the gestational ages. baby. Stillbirths are reported inconsistently across countries due to the use of different For the estimates in this report, countries were criteria or combinations of criteria and varying requested to provide stillbirth data using the thresholds in areas such as gestational age 28 week definition. To allow for international and/or birthweight. These differences make it comparison, the UN IGME adjusted the stillbirth difficult to compare stillbirth levels and trends rate in cases where data used a different across countries and calculate the global definition, e.g., birthweight. In this round of burden.14, 15, 16, 17 estimation (see Figure 1), 61 per cent of data used the criteria of 28 weeks or more of gestation, For international comparison, UN IGME stillbirth 29 per cent of the data points were adjusted or estimates refer to “late gestation fetal deaths” reclassified to a 28 week or more definition, and as deaths occurring at or after 28 weeks of 10 per cent of data points could not be adjusted gestation, which is in-line with the International because no definition was specified or a non- Classification of Diseases.18 UN IGME standard threshold was used (e.g., 26 or more recommends using a stillbirth definition that weeks) – these data points were excluded in the uses the gestational age as the single criteria. estimation process. Among the 171 countries with Gestational age is preferred to birthweight data, about two thirds (97) provided data points and/or length criteria as it is a better predictor using the 28 week or more definition exclusively. of maturity and viability, and is the most For 66 countries, data points were based on 28 commonly available criteria across data sources. week and other definitions, and for eight countries However, using a 28 week or more definition none of the data points could be adjusted.
A stillborn baby at the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone, wrapped in cloth and lying on a counter, awaiting burial by the family. © UNICEF/UNI85526/Asselin A Neglected Tragedy: The global burden of stillbirths 8
Stillbirths, live births and neonatal deaths
28 weeks of Onset of 22 weeks of 28 days completed pregnancy completed Live birth from birth gestation gestation