American women are more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth than women in Russia, according to a study by the Save the Children fund. Russia ranks 56th, tied with Uruguay – six positions higher than last year. In Russia, one woman out of 2,600 dies during pregnancy and childbirth. In the US, the odds are one in 1,800 – the worst rate among developed countries.
The US indicators have sharply worsened, according to the report, compared to last year (when risks were estimated at 1 in 2,400), while maternal mortality in Russia, on the contrary, has decreased.
According to the report, the lifetime risk of dying during pregnancy or childbirth for British women is 1 in 6,900. This is much higher than in Poland (1 in 19,800) and almost seven times higher than in Belarus (1 in 45,200), which leads in this indicator.
At the same time, the fund calculated that a child born in Russia has twice the risk of dying before the age of five than in Belarus, and three times higher than in Sweden, Singapore, and Slovenia. Russia's indicator is almost the same as Ukraine's, which ranks 69th overall.
According to the BBC, the report used materials from open sources, such as UN agencies. The authors of the ranking considered five key factors: maternal mortality rate, under-five mortality rate, education situation, economic performance, and political situation.
The worst capitals for children's lives in the richest countries are Washington, Vienna, and Bern, Switzerland.
At the same time, the report lists several cities that have achieved significant success in ensuring high survival rates for young children, including Kampala in Uganda, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Cairo in Egypt, as well as the capitals of Guatemala, the Philippines, and Cambodia.
The head of Save the Children stated: "We urgently need to close the gap in survival rates so that no matter where they (children – ed.) live, they have a chance to survive and reach their potential."