Stillbirth is Africa’s silent epidemic
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A new continent-wide report has identified stillbirth as one of Africa’s most urgent but overlooked public health crises, warning that millions of preventable deaths will continue without immediate intervention.
According to the State of Africa’s Stillbirths (SOAS) Report, which was released at the International Maternal and Newborn Health Conference, a baby is stillborn in Africa every 30 seconds. The report estimates that, without accelerated action, about five million stillbirths could occur between 2026 and 2030.
The report was developed by more than 80 African experts from over 20 countries, including researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT).
“Behind every stillbirth is a mother, a family and a loss that is too often invisible. What is most striking is that the majority of these deaths are preventable. This report is a call to recognise these losses, count them and act decisively to prevent them,” said Lumbani Ngulube, project coordinator at UCT’s Division of Global Surgery.
The SOAS report is the first comprehensive continental analysis focused exclusively on stillbirths. It was led by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, alongside the International Stillbirth Alliance, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UNICEF, the University of Cape Town and the World Health Organization.
It calls for a shift from what it describes as “silence to accountability,” urging governments to ensure that every stillbirth is counted, reviewed and prevented where possible. “Behind each loss is a mother, a family, and a community whose grief is too often unseen, and whose tragedy is, in most cases, preventable,” the report states.
The report examines five key areas: the scale of the problem, its underlying causes, its broader impact, effective prevention strategies and pathways to accelerate progress.
It finds that stillbirths persist largely due to avoidable medical conditions compounded by cultural, social, financial and structural barriers to timely, high-quality care. Nearly half occur during labour, often in health facilities, pointing to critical failures in care at the most vulnerable stage.
Globally, an estimated 1.9 million late-gestation stillbirths occurred in 2023, with about half in Africa. The report highlights that many of these deaths happen when risks are highest and when effective medical interventions should be available.
Beyond the immediate loss, stillbirths have lasting consequences. The report links them to increased risks in subsequent pregnancies, long-term physical and mental health effects for families, and growing strain on healthcare workers. It also warns of wider economic impacts, including lost productivity and increased healthcare costs.
Despite the scale of the crisis, the report emphasises that solutions are within reach. It estimates that up to 70% of stillbirths could be prevented using existing interventions, particularly through improved quality of care during childbirth. Recommended measures include strengthening the healthcare workforce, expanding emergency obstetric and newborn care, improving monitoring during labour and ensuring effective referral systems.
The report concludes that tackling stillbirth is both a moral imperative and a strategic investment in Africa’s health systems and future development.
“Ending preventable stillbirths is both a strategic investment in Africa’s health, equity and resilience and a moral imperative,” it states.