Stillbirth in low- and middle-income countries: Addressing the 'silent epidemic'

Annually, an estimated 2.6 million stillbirths occur worldwide.1 With five deaths every single minute, stillbirth is the fifth leading global cause of death when compared with causes of death in all age categories—outranking diarrhoea, HIV/AIDS, TB, road traffic accidents and any form of cancer.2 The vast majority (98%) of stillbirths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This has also been referred to as the ‘silent epidemic’.