In 2023, in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region, twenty maternal deaths occurred every hour, according to data published in April 2025 by the United Nations. For that same year, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is similar to the estimation done for the year 2015. n 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 urges countries to take immediate action at both national and subnational levels, providing recommendations to address key structural challenges in maternal health and accelerate the reduction of maternal mortality.
