September 10, 2026
freestocks.org/Pexels
There were 120 maternal deaths in Philadelphia between 2019 and 2023, an average of 24 a year, a new report shows.
Maternal mortality continues to rise in Philadelphia due to a combination of factors, including an increase in fatal drug overdoses and homicides.
A report released Thursday by the city health department shows that 120 people died during pregnancy, or within 365 days afterward, between 2019 and 2023. That marks a 26% increase from the 95 maternal deaths recorded between 2014 and 2018.
MORE: Penn Medicine receives $50 million gift to advance research into autoimmune diseases and cancer
The report was compiled by Philadelphia's Maternal Mortality Review Committee, a group of multidisciplinary stakeholders that have reviewed more than 400 maternal deaths in the city since 2010.
The committee determined that 90% of the deaths that occurred from 2019 to 2023 were preventable, meaning they could have been averted by "one or more reasonable changes to patient, family, facility, system and/or community factors."
After each preventable death, the committee makes recommendations to prevent future pregnancy-related deaths. Among the recommendations noted in Thursday's report:
• Strengthening behavioral health systems for pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorders
• Improving mental health care for pregnant and postpartum women and embedding mental health treatment in obstetric clinics
• Coordinating care for pregnant women between obstetricians, primary care doctors, emergency medicine teams and social service providers to prevent gaps in care
Medical complications accounted for 37% of maternal deaths from 2019 to 2023, and another 32% were caused by unintentional drug overdoses, the report shows.
Deaths caused by homicide jumped to 15.3%, a "marked" increase from 5% from 2014 to 2018, according to the report.
Mental health issues, not including substance use disorders, were a contributing factor in 42% of deaths.
Also striking was the high number of deaths that occurred during the late postpartum period. The report shows that 41% of pregnancy-related deaths occurred from 43 to 364 days after pregnancy.
"Although the postpartum period is traditionally thought of as the first six weeks after delivery, it is essential to consider that individuals may be at risk of adverse health outcomes for many months after pregnancy," the report states.
