One Mother Dies Every Hour Due to Pregnancy and Childbirth Complications

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Maternal deaths during pregnancy and childbirth in Indonesia remain at an alarming level, with a cumulative total exceeding 36,000 cases.

The latest data indicate that Indonesia’s Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) stands at around 189 per 100,000 live births. This situation places Indonesia in a position requiring very serious medical intervention.

It is estimated that one mother dies every hour in Indonesia due to complications from pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period.

A more shocking phenomenon is that 80% of these death cases actually occur within healthcare facilities because the conditions are already severe.

“Almost 80% of maternal deaths occur in hospitals due to various factors,” said the Chairman of the Central Board of the Indonesian Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (POGI), Prof. Dr. dr. Budi Wiweko, SpOG, Subsp. FER, at the National POGI House, Jakarta, on Tuesday (21/4/2026).

Severe postpartum haemorrhage remains the leading cause of death. This condition often occurs suddenly and requires the availability of complete support facilities, such as blood banks, and the readiness of anaesthesia experts in hospitals.

Budi explained that surgical intervention for emergency cases cannot be delayed if the mother’s life is to be saved.

“The standard of service, especially for emergency obstetric surgery, should have a response time of 30 minutes,” he said.

The loss of large volumes of blood is the main medical cause that is difficult to control if the patient has already experienced anaemia since the pregnancy period.

Without prompt and appropriate treatment, bleeding of hundreds to thousands of millilitres can lead to maternal death in less than two hours.

Many recorded death cases in hospitals actually stem from delays in early detection at the primary health centre level, general practitioners, or midwives at primary healthcare facilities.

The quality of handling from the primary facilities greatly determines whether a mother arrives at the hospital in a condition that still allows for life-saving interventions.

Therefore, strengthening the capacity of health workers at the grassroots level is crucial so that they can recognise danger signs earlier.