Africa is facing a heartbreaking and largely invisible crisis, with nearly one million babies stillborn annually, about 120 every hour. Every 30 seconds, a baby is lost before birth somewhere on the continent, highlighting a challenge that is often ignored in health systems and public discussion.
The State of Africa’s Stillbirths report by UNICEF exposes the magnitude of this issue and calls for urgent action. A stillbirth occurs when a baby dies in the womb after a certain stage of pregnancy, typically after 28 weeks, and is widely considered a reflection of the quality of maternal care during pregnancy, labour, and delivery.
Health specialists warn that progress in reducing stillbirths across Africa has stalled for nearly twenty years. Despite global attention, the continent still carries roughly half of the world’s stillbirth burden.
Without intervention, experts project that up to five million stillbirths could occur between 2026 and 2030.
Helga Fogstad, UNICEF Director of Health, said the persistence of nearly two million global stillbirths each year exposes weaknesses in health systems.
“Stillbirth is one of the clearest indicators of whether our health systems are delivering quality care at the moment of birth, especially for the most vulnerable. If we are serious about EWENE (Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere) and about improving outcomes, stillbirth must be part of how we measure success and accountability,” she said.
She added that stillbirths should be incorporated into maternal and newborn health plans, tracked in national targets, and prioritised in funding. Ignoring these deaths undermines efforts to improve survival and well-being for both mothers and children.
The report highlights that stillbirths signal deeper problems in health systems. Lucy Mazaba Mazyanga of Africa CDC described high stillbirth rates as a clear marker of system weaknesses, including shortages of trained health workers, slow emergency response, and poor record-keeping.
“It is not only a maternal and newborn health issue, but a signal of system performance. It is a health security issue. It is a development issue. It is one of the clearest signals indicating whether our health systems are delivering quality, timely care where it matters most at the moment of birth,” she said.
She noted that reducing stillbirths would also prevent maternal and newborn deaths while making health systems stronger.
From a global perspective, Adeniyi Aderoba of WHO said Africa experiences nearly one million stillbirths yearly, at rates four times higher than in Europe. Yet, many nations lack reliable data or clear policy targets. “If it is not in policy and not counted, we cannot drive change,” he warned, urging governments to invest consistently in maternal and newborn care.
The human toll of stillbirths is profound. Grace Mwashighadi, co-chair of The Lancet Stillbirth Advisory Committee, shared her personal experience of losing three children, highlighting the isolation and lack of support many parents face. Her story reinforces the report’s call for more compassionate care and inclusion of parents’ voices in shaping health policies.
Most stillbirths result from preventable causes such as infections, prolonged labour, maternal complications, and substandard care during pregnancy and delivery. Alarmingly, almost half occur during labour, often in health facilities, pointing to failures at the most critical moments of childbirth.
The report urges a shift from neglect to accountability. Recommendations include boosting primary healthcare, improving data collection to ensure all stillbirths are counted, increasing skilled health workers, and integrating stillbirth prevention into existing maternal and child health programmes.
The conclusion is clear: preventing stillbirths strengthens health systems overall rather than adding burden. As Dr Mazyanga emphasised, “when we prevent stillbirth, we strengthen the entire system.”
