Washington, DC, June 18, 2024 (PAHO) – The director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, made an urgent call for action to reduce maternal mortality in the region of the Americas. In 2020, in Latin America and the Caribbean, one maternal death occurred every hour, setting maternal health indicators in the region back two decades.
“These figures not only imply a worsening of results, but also a deepening of inequalities, which represent particular and unacceptable tragedies that in most cases would be avoidable,” said Barbosa at the event Zero Avoidable Maternal Deaths, organized by PAHO, which took place on June 18, 2024.
Dr. Barbosa expressed that “the number of deaths of pregnant women does not match the degree of development of this region,” and stated that it is imperative to eliminate this contradiction.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the vulnerabilities of the health infrastructures of Latin America and the Caribbean, exacerbating inequalities in access to health services, with a profound impact on women. The maternal mortality ratio increased by 15% between 2016 and 2020.
However, prior to the pandemic, the maternal mortality ratio in the Americas already showed signs of stagnation, distancing the region from the possibility of meeting the goals and commitments assumed, such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the Sustainable Health Agenda. . of the Americas.
According to PAHO’s Basic Health Indicators, updated in 2023, more than 90% of women receive at least four consultations during pregnancy; About 97% of births are attended in health facilities and more than 96% are attended by qualified personnel. In addition, coverage of sexual and reproductive health services exceeds 80%. “It is necessary to examine why this investment does not translate into better results,” Barbosa emphasized.
The PAHO director pointed out that there are multiple factors that affect maternal mortality, including socioeconomic, cultural, educational and environmental aspects. To address these challenges, Barbosa urged the implementation of strategies that contemplate reparative interventions in situations of vulnerability and address “aspects related to gender norms and roles.”
“The health sector must be an agent of transformative change,” said Barbosa, noting that nine out of ten maternal deaths could be avoided through universal access to quality maternal care services and modern contraceptive methods, among other resources.
“Achieving the expansion of health systems based on Primary Health Care, to ensure universal access to health and universal coverage, may be the critical factor to reduce maternal mortality in the Region.”
The Strategy to accelerate the reduction of maternal mortality presented by PAHO offers a framework for action that must be adapted to each country and context, with complementary and integrated actions. Barbosa urged countries to prioritize this issue and commit to the implementation of the strategy, focusing action at the local level and especially on women who live in conditions of greater vulnerability.
“Our countries must provide the necessary resources for action, mobilizing all sectors, including academia, civil society and the most impacted communities,” he stressed.
