Gabon faces rising maternal mortality with 59 hospital deaths in 2025, WHO report reveals systemic failures
via Gabon Review3 min read
Gabon recorded 59 maternal deaths in hospitals in 2025, an 18% increase from 50 deaths in 2024, according to the World Health Organization's annual report. These deaths occurred within healthcare facilities, despite Gabon boasting a 76% health insurance coverage rate. The WHO attributes this rise to systemic failures, including insufficient technical platforms, poor aseptic conditions, shortages of essential medicines, and inadequate management of obstetric emergencies. The report highlights the "third delay" as a major factor: the delay in receiving proper care once a woman arrives at a healthcare facility. This is considered the most inexcusable delay, as it occurs within the system where conditions for survival should be met. The WHO has provided sterilizers, essential medicines, and obstetric equipment to several health facilities, underscoring Gabon's need for international assistance for basic maternity equipment. Gabon's overall maternal mortality rate is 399 deaths per 100,000 live births, significantly higher than countries like France under 10 and Morocco around 20, and even higher than some less-resourced sub-Saharan African nations. Despite being a major exporter of oil, manganese, and wood with one of Central Africa's highest per capita GDPs, the country's high maternal mortality is seen as a result of budgetary, organizational, and political choices, rather than geographical or climatic factors. Health insurance coverage does not protect against the absence of a
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Must ReadGabon's public debt reached 8,780 billion FCFA by the end of December 2025, an increase of 1,647 billion FCFA in one year. For the first time, the state owes more to banks within the country and the sub-region than to major foreign creditors. External debt slightly decreased to 4,127.6 billion FCFA, while domestic debt surged by nearly 57% in one year, reaching 4,652.7 billion FCFA. The Directorate General of Debt attributes this increase to two main factors. Firstly, a Task Force on debt officially recognized and validated previously uncounted state debts to companies and suppliers, known as "moratoriums," totaling 758.7 billion FCFA. Secondly, the state borrowed significantly from the regional financial market, raising 2,161.7 billion FCFA in 2025, with over half of this amount coming from banks outside Gabon in neighboring countries. Despite record repayments of 2,565.4 billion FCFA in 2025, including special operations like debt repurchases and Operation MOUELE, payment arrears have accumulated. Operation MOUELE, completed in April 2025, restructured domestic debt repayments, extending the average duration from 2.3 years to 6 years to ease the financial burden. However, payment arrears reached 459.5 billion FCFA, an increase of 193 billion FCFA from the end of 2024. While the state prioritizes repaying major international lenders to maintain confidence, partner countries are owed 155 billion FCFA, foreign suppliers 121.4 billion FCFA, and validated moratorium debts have 1
Must ReadGabon's decision to suspend social media access in February, in response to content deemed dangerous or destabilizing, resulted in a nationwide internet slowdown. This measure, initially aimed at curbing abuses by a few, has penalized all users, including students, researchers, journalists, and entrepreneurs, who face disruptions to videoconferences, delayed transactions, and lost clients. Despite the restrictions, public institutions and administrations continue to use social media for communication, creating a paradox. The economic cost of a degraded internet is significant, leading to decreased productivity for businesses, delayed orders, and lost opportunities. Modern economies rely on efficient communication tools, and a slow internet hinders growth and diversification efforts. The article argues that a country's attractiveness depends on its infrastructure quality, including digital, and reducing internet access sends a concerning signal to investors, especially in a country already facing high electricity costs. It suggests that a more balanced approach, focusing on proportionate and targeted responses, would be more suitable than a measure with indistinct effects, emphasizing that while security and stability are legitimate concerns, judicial mechanisms and technical reinforcement could address infractions without penalizing the entire population. Ultimately, a slow internet could impede Gabon's ambitions to attract investors, stimulate innovation, and develop its dig