Toward zero maternal deaths

Abstract

Since 2015, maternal mortality has been steadily increasing in the Americas, highlighting the need for urgent action. The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in 2020 returned to the same level observed in the early 2000s, marking a setback of 20 years. Between 2015 and 2020, the MMR increased by 17% in the Americas, leading to 25 maternal deaths per day in 2020. Compared with other WHO Regions, the Americas has registered the highest increase in the MMR globally. Despite the fact that 98% of births were attended by skilled health personnel in 2020, the MMR in the Americas for that year was 68 deaths per 100 000 live births. It is estimated that since 2020 the MMR has remained at the same high level for the Region. Tackling this negative trend, in March 2023 the Regional Task Force for the Reduction of Maternal Mortality, led by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), launched the campaign Zero Maternal Deaths: Prevent the Preventable to accelerate progress toward the regional goal of fewer than 30 maternal deaths per 100 000 live births, as outlined in PAHO’s Sustainable Health Agenda for the Americas.