Over 70% of the 464 maternal deaths recorded in Karnataka between April 1 and December 31, 2024, were preventable, according to an interim audit report tabled by Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday, April 4. The report, spanning 18 pages, is part of the state’s efforts to bring down its maternal mortality rate (MMR), currently at 57.
Bengaluru Urban reported the highest number of maternal deaths during this nine-month period (71), followed by Ballari (38), Dharwad (35), Kalaburagi (33), and Belagavi (31). The data also includes the deaths of 18 women from outside Karnataka.
The audit revealed that 80% of the deceased were women aged between 19 and 30, and that 62.6% of those who died during postnatal care had undergone Caesarean section deliveries. Seven girls under the age of 18 also died during this period.
The Health Department set up a 15-member expert committee in November after five maternal deaths in Ballari district raised concerns. Investigations pointed to the possibility that the deaths were caused by endotoxins in sub-standard Ringer’s Lactate solution supplied by Paschim Banga Pharmaceuticals.
The same IV fluid brand was linked to 13 other maternal deaths across the state—four each in Raichur and Bengaluru Urban, three in Uttara Kannada, and one each in Yadgir and Belagavi.
The report noted that many of the deaths could have been prevented with timely and appropriate clinical decisions at the facility level, particularly in managing risk factors such as anaemia, hypertensive disorders, gestational diabetes, and other pregnancy-related complications.
The audit found that 319 of the women (68.75%) had high-risk pregnancies. Among these, 153 women (33%) had hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, while 125 women (27%) died due to haemorrhage. Other causes included sepsis (9%), cardiac issues (4%), infections (4%), and pulmonary embolism (3%).
The state recorded 102 maternal deaths in the first three months of 2025, showing a slight dip compared to the 148 deaths reported during the same period in 2024.