This is the first full report to cover the period when the Delta variant of COVID-19 was most prevalent and its impact on maternal deaths. Data published by the MBRRACE-UK collaboration in May 2023 showed that persistent disparities in maternal health remained. In this period, maternal deaths attributable to COVID-19 were at a rate well in excess of any other single cause. This was as a result of uncertainty among medical teams regarding how to appropriately diagnose and treat pregnant women. Marian Knight MBE, Professor of Maternal and Child Population Health at Oxford Population Health and maternal reporting lead, said ‘This report shows persistent inequities impacting the care of pregnant, recently pregnant and breastfeeding women.
