MSD Releases New Report on “Improving Maternal Health Across Latin America and the Caribbean”

December 19, 2024 – MSD released a new report titled, "Improving Maternal Health Across Latin America and the Caribbean," which offers an in-depth look at maternal health in the region and efforts to enhance the quality of maternal health care, supported by MSD for Mothers, the company's global initiative to help cre ate a world where no woman has to die while giving life.

Despite a significant decline in maternal deaths reported between 1990 and 2015, Latin America and the Caribbean experienced a surge in maternal mortality between 2016 and 2020 – with 8,400 women in the region dying each year from pregnancy-related complications, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Preventable causes like high blood pressure, severe bleeding and unsafe abortion practices are often to blame – and, tragically, 90% of maternal deaths in the region could be prevented with increased access to quality maternity care and modern contraception.

Access to quality care is especially limited for certain marginalized populations of women, as Latin America and the Caribbean have among the highest levels of socioeconomic inequality in the world. Worse maternal health outcomes are seen in the region among women who are Indigenous and Afro-descendant, have lower incomes and fewer years of formal education, suffer from malnutrition, or lack access to family planning services or a skilled maternity care provider.

To help address the unique challenges contributing to poor maternal health outcomes in Latin America and the Caribbean, MSD for Mothers has fostered collaborations with organizations improving access to quality maternal health care and family planning resources and raise awareness of safe childbirth practices in the region. Through 24 programs across 13 countries, MSD for Mothers has reached 1.5M women and trained 60,000 health care providers across Latin America and the Caribbean.

"We believe that a strong health system and a well-trained workforce are a critical pathway toward improved and equitable health outcomes," said Sarah Aiosa, SVP, Latin America, MSD. "We are proud to collaborate with non-governmental organizations and multilateral organizations to understand and meet the maternal health needs of women across Latin America, the Caribbean and beyond."

This report details how MSD for Mothers works with a vibrant array of organizations to create custom collaborations designed to improve maternal health in Latin America and the Caribbean – including a public-private partnership with PAHO announced in 2024, "Responding to Obstetric Emergencies and Unintended Pregnancies 2024-2027" - further advancing progress towards the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goal on maternal mortality reduction.

To learn more about MSD for Mothers' collaboration with PAHO, other regional programming and its holistic approach to improving maternal health around the world, read the full report here.

*Merck for Mothers is known as MSD for Mothers outside of the U.S. and Canada