Daijiworld Media Network – Geneva
Geneva, Jun 18: The World Health Organization (WHO) is developing new guidelines aimed at improving care for pregnant and postpartum women affected by non-communicable diseases (NCDs), as rising rates of conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity pose growing risks to maternal and child health worldwide.
To advance the initiative, WHO will convene a panel of experts on Jun 30, 2026, to ensure that upcoming recommendations can be effectively integrated into healthcare systems, particularly in resource-constrained settings. The experts will also advise on the dissemination and implementation of new clinical guidelines on maternal, perinatal and NCD-related healthcare.
WHO has identified NCDs—including diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases and obesity—as a major and growing health concern among women of reproductive age. While some women enter pregnancy with these conditions, others develop them during pregnancy, increasing the risk of complications for both mother and child.
According to the global health body, NCDs are among the leading contributors to illness and death during pregnancy and childbirth. The burden is especially severe in low- and middle-income countries, where most maternal deaths occur and where chronic diseases are increasingly contributing to poor health outcomes.
WHO noted that indirect causes, many of them linked to NCDs, now account for approximately 23 per cent of maternal deaths globally, making them the second leading cause of maternal mortality after haemorrhage.
The organisation warned that the effects of NCDs during pregnancy extend beyond immediate complications. In the short term, affected women face a higher risk of conditions such as pre-eclampsia, severe hypertension and emergency caesarean deliveries. Infants born to these mothers are more likely to experience preterm birth, low birth weight or excessive birth weight, often requiring intensive neonatal care.
Long-term consequences can also be significant. Women who experience NCD-related complications during pregnancy face a greater likelihood of developing chronic cardiovascular and metabolic diseases later in life. Their children may also have an increased risk of obesity and other non-communicable diseases as they grow older.
WHO released its first set of guidelines in 2025, focusing on the management of sickle cell anaemia and diabetes during pregnancy. However, challenges remain in translating these recommendations into practice, particularly in countries facing shortages of specialist healthcare providers such as endocrinologists and maternal-fetal medicine experts.
The organisation pointed out that for many women, routine antenatal visits represent their only interaction with the healthcare system during pregnancy. Yet opportunities to screen for and manage chronic diseases during these visits are often missed, leaving many conditions undiagnosed and untreated.
The upcoming virtual expert meeting will focus on bridging the gap between clinical recommendations and real-world implementation. Discussions will centre on adapting NCD care guidelines for under-resourced healthcare systems and integrating screening, diagnosis and treatment into existing maternal health services.
WHO said the effort is intended to strengthen maternal healthcare globally and reduce preventable complications and deaths linked to chronic diseases during pregnancy and the postpartum period.