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Every Woman Every Newborn EverywherE
Healthy Futures

Country action

Yemen

©UNFPA.

Every Woman Every Newborn in Yemen

Download the full profile with additional key demographics, progress against milestones, and more.

This profile was developed in May 2023, using data from 2018-2023. 

Download the full Yemen profile
©UNFPA.

Aisha is in the health center with Dr. Zinah’s clinic in Aden, undertaking a prenatal check up in February 2022..

MNH Acceleration Plan highlights

In 2026, the priorities in Yemen’s MNH Acceleration Plan include:  

  • Update the subnational Acceleration Plan based on a thorough data review and analysis.
  • Improve the quality of care standards including for small and sick newborn care units; establish core competencies for the staff working in small and sick newborn care units.
  • Implement the National Community Primary Health Care Strategy and scale up capacity building. 
  • Advocate for domestic resource mobilization to procure maternal and newborn health commodities. 
  • Scale up DHIS2 to facility level.

©UNFPA.
A health worker is checking on the health of the neonatal babies in the neonatal department in Al Shaab Hospital in Aden, Yemen in February 2022.

National mortality targets

Maternal
mortality ratio

200 per 100,000 live births
by 2025

Stillbirth
rate

No data

Neonatal mortality rate

27 per 1,000 live births
by 2025

Progress to meet the national maternal, newborn mortality and stillbirth reduction targets

©UNFPA.  Health worker, Aydah Mohamed, taking care of neonatal babies in the neonatal department in Al Shaab Hospital in Aden, Yemen in 2022.

Progress to meet Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere coverage targets

©UNFPA.
A health worker is checking on the health of the neonatal babies in the neonatal department in Al Shaab Hospital in Aden, Yemen in February 2022.

Quality of care in Yemen (common to South and North)

As part of its efforts to reduce maternal and newborn mortality and stillbirths, Yemen is taking steps to improve the quality of maternal and newborn health. Yemen’s successes include:

  • Set quality criteria for the delivery of healthcare services to newborns, at each level of health system (Community, PHC, BEmOC and CEmONC).
  • Developed a quality improvement programme in all selected health facilities according to standards.
  • Provided in-service training for midwives and dcotors on all MNH Guidelines (EmONC, CBMNC, FP, KMC, ENC, Referral, etc,.
  • Strengthened the capacity of health facilities to provide  EmONC services.
  • Procured and distributed essential equipment, and procured lifesaving EmONC drugs and contraceptives, and distributed them to health facilities. 
  • Strengthened the capacity of Neonatal Care Units at selected referral hospitals through the provision of equipment and lifesaving drugs.
  • Strengthened maternal and newborn death surveillance system; activated the MPNDSR at facility level and developed the MPNDSR at community level.
  • Rolled out a pilot to advocate for the development of the MPNDSR.
  • Developing a communication and advocacy plan as part of the national MNH strategy to improve the maternal and newborn health-related family practices, with a special focus on improving breastfeeding practices.
  • Identifying focal persons among influential leaders to advocate for MCH.
  • Conducted an annual advocacy campaign for MNCH care with the slogan“ Together for Saving Mothers’ and Children’ Lives’.

News and events

Lessons to end postpartum hemorrhage

June 10, 2026

First webinar in a four-part series sharing lessons from the Accelerating Measurable Progress and Leveraging Investments for Postpartum Hemorrhage Impact (AMPLI-PPHI) project. Organized by Jhpiego.

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Resources

See also: ‘Delivering Accountable, Quality-Assured Maternal Health Financing in a Fragile State‘, the poster that the Yemen delegation presented at the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference 2026. 

View Resources

Key Messages on Women’s,Children’s and Adolescents’ Health

For the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly

These messages were developed by the United Advocacy Working Group for Maternal, Newborn and Child health.

View Resource

International Maternal Newborn Health Conference 2026: country posters

Posters presented by 40 country delegations at the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference 2026.

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Unified Advocacy Asks for Maternal and Newborn Health

International Maternal Newborn Health
Conference (IMNHC) 2026

These key messages and advocacy asks are intended to equip partners with evidence-based messaging and
resources in the context of IMNHC 2026.

View Resource