In 2020, in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region, one maternal death occurred every hour, according to data published in February 2023 by the United Nations. For that same year, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in the region fell to the levels of two decades ago.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities of the region's health infrastructure, exacerbating inequalities in access to health services, with a profound impact on the lives of women, which was reflected in excess maternal mortality and the deepening of inequities in access to essential sexual and reproductive health services.
In the years before the pandemic, the maternal mortality ratio in the Americas had stagnated, a result of the multiple barriers to access to health and quality care that women and adolescents face in the Region.
This situation has highlighted the fragility of progress in the region, which needs to increase the current rate of reduction to reach the regional goal of the Sustainable Health Agenda for the Americas of 30 deaths per one hundred thousand live births by 2030 and contribute to SDG target 3.1.
This situation has highlighted the fragility of progress in the region, which needs to increase the current rate of reduction to reach the regional goal of the Sustainable Health Agenda for the Americas of 30 deaths per one hundred thousand live births by 2030 and contribute to SDG target 3.1.
This call calls on countries to promote immediate action at the national and subnational level, with recommendations to face the main structural challenges of maternal health with the aim of accelerating the reduction of maternal mortality.
