Mumbai Gynaecologists Use AI to Reduce Maternal Mortality in India

In a significant stride towards enhancing women's healthcare, gynaecologists in Mumbai are integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve maternal health outcomes. This initiative aims to address India’s maternal mortality ratio, which currently stands at approximately 88 deaths per 100,000 live births (SRS 2020–22).

The Federation of Obstetric & Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), representing over 45,000 members has partnered with the Koita Foundation to establish a Centre for Digital Maternal Care. This center is designed to train clinicians in digital maternal care and the integration of AI tools.

FOGSI and Koita Foundation signed the MoU on 27 September 2025.

The collaboration focuses on collecting and analyzing health data from pregnant women to identify trends and potential risk factors. By employing AI algorithms, healthcare providers can stratify risks more effectively, enabling early interventions that could save lives.

India has made steady progress in reducing maternal mortality, with the national Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) declining to 88 deaths per 100,000 live births during 2020–22, down from 93 in 2019–21. (SRS special bulletin 2020–22, Registrar General of India)

Despite this improvement, significant regional disparities remain. Southern states like Kerala have achieved remarkably low MMRs of 18, while states such as Madhya Pradesh (159) and Assam (125) continue to face higher maternal mortality.

Leading causes include hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, and sepsis, predominantly affecting women aged 20–34 years. These figures underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions, better healthcare infrastructure, and innovative solutions like digital tools and AI to further improve maternal health outcomes across the country.

Despite the promising prospects of AI in healthcare, digital adoption among gynaecologists remains limited. Some reports indicate that only around 20% of FOGSI members have digitized practices, citing this as a barrier to AI adoption. This gap underscores the need for comprehensive training and support to facilitate the transition to digital platforms.

Dr. Suvarna Khadlikar (President, The Mumbai Obstetric & Gynaecological Society) highlighted that the newly launched digital centre will prioritise lowering India’s maternal mortality rate. She noted that although India has reduced its MMR from triple digits to the current figure, the goal is to push it below 70 through AI-driven solutions and improved clinical care.

Reference:

1. Registrar General of India. Special Bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India 2020–22. Sample Registration System (SRS), Office of the Registrar General, India, 2025. Accessed October 1, 2025. https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/45569/download/49766/SRS_MMR_Bulletin_2020_2022.pdf.

(Rh/Eth/ARC/MSM)