This month, as Mother's Day is celebrated in numerous countries, let's remember an alarming reality: approximately 303,000 women die each year due to complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Severe bleeding, sepsis, eclampsia, obstructed labor, and complications from unsafe abortion are the main causes.
It is possible to save these lives by ensuring that women have access to prenatal care, skilled assistance during childbirth, emergency obstetric care, and postnatal services, even in high-risk humanitarian settings. "We must urgently improve by investing in family planning and addressing the global shortage of obstetric personnel, so that all women receive the essential care they need. We have the tools, knowledge, and resources to end preventable maternal deaths. What is needed now is political will," says Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA.
UNFPA supports the training and deployment of midwives and other health professionals, providing health systems with the necessary medicines and supplies to carry out safe deliveries, even in disaster-affected areas. No woman should lose her life while giving life.
Situation in Peru
In Peru, in 2023, five maternal deaths were recorded every week. The northeastern, southern Andean, and rural areas show the highest rates of maternal mortality, reflecting serious inequities in access to services and marked poverty, which limits their ability to make decisions about their sexual and reproductive health. Deep territorial and population inequalities mean that almost a third of women do not receive at least four of the recommended eight prenatal check-ups or adequate postnatal care, with hemorrhages causing one in every four maternal deaths for over a decade.
Significant differences persist between desired and actual fertility, particularly in rural areas, with a decreasing trend in the number of children, although large disparities still exist. Additionally, teenagers face particular challenges: at least 6% of young women between 12 and 17 years old have been pregnant in regions such as Amazonas, Loreto, and Ucayali.
To advance in reducing maternal mortality, it is crucial to implement evidence-based territorial and intersectional plans and strategies, promoting multisectoral and intergovernmental coordination with a gender and intercultural relevance approach, the active involvement of local governments, and work in brigades reaching the most marginalized populations.
This Mother's Day, let's honor all mothers by ensuring safe motherhood, a fundamental right for all.
