The Impact of COVID-19 on Maternal Health and Family Planning in Maldives

The recent onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has threatened to become one of the most challenging tests faced by humanity in modern history, with governments facing multifaceted health and socio-economic challenges. Impacts can range from affecting livelihoods, increasing morbidity and mortality, overwhelming health systems, and triggering lasting geopolitical change.

This analysis estimates that because of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown during 2020, the numbers of pregnancies and births are expected to increase in the Maldives. The effects of the reduction in contraceptive access in 2020 would be felt also after 2020, as the country’s progress in increasing contraceptive prevalence and reducing unmet need for family planning would be delayed.