Africa's stillbirth crisis claims lives every 30 seconds
Every 30 seconds, a baby is stillborn in Africa, a largely preventable loss that a University of Cape Town-backed report says reflects deep strain in health systems.
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Every 30 seconds, a baby is stillborn in Africa, a largely preventable loss that researchers say exposes deep cracks in the continent’s healthcare systems, according to a major new report.
Co-led by the University of Cape Town, the study warns that millions more deaths could occur without urgent intervention, underscoring stillbirths as one of the clearest indicators of how well health systems are functioning, particularly in maternal care.
The State of Africa’s Stillbirths (SOAS) Report, launched on March 24 at the International Maternal and Newborn Health Conference, estimates that five million stillbirths could occur between 2026 and 2030 if current trends continue.
In 2023 alone, close to one million third-trimester stillbirths were recorded across Africa, accounting for around half of the global total. Researchers say most of these deaths could be avoided with timely, quality care.
“Behind every stillbirth is a mother, a family and a loss that is too often invisible,” said Lumbani Ngulube, project coordinator from UCT’s Division of Global Surgery.
“What is most striking is that the majority of these deaths are preventable.”
The report is led by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, alongside partners including the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund.
It is the first continent-wide assessment focused exclusively on stillbirths, and calls for a shift from silence to accountability, urging governments to ensure that every stillbirth is counted, reviewed and, where possible, prevented.
Its findings point to a complex web of causes, from medical complications to structural barriers such as poverty, limited access to healthcare, and delays in receiving treatment.
Nearly half of all stillbirths occur during labour, often within health facilities, pointing to gaps in the quality of care at the most critical moment.
The findings also echo longstanding concerns about pressure on South Africa’s public healthcare system, where staff shortages, uneven access to care and gaps in maternal services continue to affect outcomes.
Recent efforts to bolster services in the Western Cape, including the addition of hundreds of healthcare workers, underline both progress and the scale of the challenge in delivering consistent, high-quality care.
Health experts have repeatedly warned that avoidable maternal and neonatal deaths remain a persistent issue in South Africa, often linked to delays in care, overstretched facilities and disparities between urban and rural communities.
These pressures mirror the report’s conclusion that stillbirths are not inevitable, but persist where women face barriers to timely and effective care.
Beyond the immediate loss, the report highlights far-reaching consequences. Stillbirths are associated with increased risks in subsequent pregnancies, long-term physical and mental health impacts on mothers, and emotional trauma for families.
They also contribute to burnout among healthcare workers and carry broader economic costs through lost productivity, increased healthcare needs and reduced human capital.
Globally, an estimated 1.9 million late gestation stillbirths occurred in 2023, with Africa accounting for around half.
The report argues that preventing these deaths is both a moral imperative and a strategic investment in strengthening health systems and protecting human capital at the very start of life.
Up to 70% of stillbirths could be reduced using existing, cost-effective interventions, including improving care during labour, strengthening referral systems, ensuring access to skilled health workers, and expanding emergency obstetric and newborn care.
The authors say investing in quality care at birth has a multiplier effect, reducing maternal and neonatal mortality while improving long-term developmental outcomes.
Ending preventable stillbirths, they argue, will require political will, stronger accountability mechanisms and sustained investment in healthcare systems.
Until they are consistently counted, reviewed and addressed, stillbirths will remain one of the clearest, and most overlooked, indicators of inequality and strain in Africa’s healthcare systems.