London, December 09, 2025
A recent review led by global health experts has revealed that maternity care conditions worldwide are far worse than previously anticipated, marked by reports of inadequate maternal nutrition and unsanitary hospital wards. The findings highlight urgent systemic failures impacting the quality and safety of childbirth services.
Critical failures in maternity care
The review chief described conditions as including “hungry mothers and dirty wards,” underscoring a deeply troubling reality faced by many women during pregnancy and childbirth. Such conditions indicate not only medical neglect but also fundamental disrespect and disregard for women’s dignity in maternity settings. These shocking revelations surpass initial expectations, pointing to a crisis in maternal health service delivery.
Contributing factors and supporting data
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that despite some progress, maternal and newborn mortality rates remain unacceptably high, especially in low-income and fragile regions. A lack of skilled midwives, poor facility hygiene, and inadequate nutrition are major contributors to adverse outcomes. In parallel, the United States faces maternal healthcare deserts in over a third of counties, where obstetric and prenatal care providers are absent due to hospital and maternity unit closures. This workforce shortage, coupled with limited birth setting options, exacerbates risks for expectant mothers, particularly in rural and disadvantaged communities.
Disrespect and mistreatment
A scoping review of healthcare providers’ perspectives aligns with these concerns, reporting frequent instances of disrespectful treatment and obstetric violence within facility-based maternity care. Minority populations often bear the brunt of these systemic problems, facing compounded disparities in care quality and outcomes. These practices undermine ethical care standards and violate patient rights.
Health and rights implications
The deplorable hygiene conditions and inadequate nutrition compound medical risks for mothers and newborns. Consequently, these factors elevate maternal morbidity and mortality rates globally. The situation directly conflicts with women’s rights to safe, respectful, and effective healthcare during childbirth, presenting a grave public health and human rights issue.
Underlying systemic challenges
Key issues driving the crisis include facility-level hygiene failures, insufficient provision of maternal nutrition, shortages in trained maternity healthcare workers, and entrenched cultures that tolerate disrespect and neglect. These problems reflect complex systemic failures requiring comprehensive policy and funding responses. Disparities affecting ethnic minorities and vulnerable groups highlight the need for targeted interventions to ensure equitable care access and treatment.
Addressing these urgent challenges will necessitate coordinated global and national reforms focused on improving healthcare infrastructure, expanding skilled midwifery, enhancing respectful care practices, and ensuring adequate nutrition and hygiene standards. Without such immediate action, the health and rights of countless mothers and newborns will remain at severe risk.