KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has recorded a significant reduction in its maternal mortality ratio since the 1970s, the Dewan Rakyat was told. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said data from the Statistics Department showed that in 2024, there were 25 deaths involving mothers and 6.7 deaths involving infants. This is a sharp decrease from the 1970s, which saw between 70 to 140 maternal deaths and 41.4 infant deaths. However, Dr Dzulkefly noted that the country’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has continued to decline, dropping from 1.7 children per woman in 2023 to 1.6 in 2024. To address this, the Health Ministry is utilising the "Safe Motherhood Initiative" (SMI).

Source: The Star January 22, 2026 15:09 UTC