Dominican Republic | Maternal Mortality Up 16% in 2023
The Dominican Republic recorded 208 maternal deaths last year, related to pregnancy, childbirth, or the postpartum period. This placed the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) at 127 deaths per 100,000 live births, reflecting a 16% increase compared to 2022’s rate of 109 per 100,000, reports Listin Diario.
Of these deaths, 146 were Dominican mothers, constituting 70% of the total, while 25% were mothers from Haiti, as outlined in the Epidemiological Bulletin for week 52, marking the conclusion of 2023 by the Epidemiology Directorate.
The Dominican Republic releases a weekly Epidemiological Bulletin to update on the epidemiological status of mandatory notification events, which encompass public health matters of national importance. Bulletin #52, “Semana Epidemiológica (SE) No. 52” offered a summary of the maternal and infant mortality situation in the Dominican Republic for the year 2023.
Source: National Epidemiological Surveillance System (SINAVE).
According to the report from the Ministry of Public Health’s Epidemiology Directorate, the average age of maternal deaths in 2023 was 28 years, ranging from 16 to 52 years. Three-quarters of these deaths resulted from direct obstetric causes such as edema, proteinuria, and hypertensive disorders, with sepsis being the underlying cause in 36% of cases, along with other puerperal infections in 23%, and additional complications in 17% of deaths.
Puerperal sepsis showed a 198% increase compared to 2022.
Indirect obstetric causes led to 39 deaths, primarily due to respiratory system diseases complicating pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Notably, 11 deaths lacked a definitive cause, pending forensic pathology determination.
Regionally, the MMR spiked by 185% in the Central Cibao region and by 120% in the Enriquillo region, particularly affecting La Vega province and Bahoruco and Barahona provinces, respectively.
As per DIEPI, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines maternal death (MM) as the passing of a woman during pregnancy and up to 42 days after childbirth or termination of pregnancy, regardless of duration or location.
This occurs due to any cause related to pregnancy or exacerbated by it or its management, excluding accidental or incidental causes. These causes may result from obstetric complications during pregnancy, childbirth, or the postpartum period, or from failures in the care process (Direct causes); or from pre-existing conditions before pregnancy or diseases that develop during pregnancy exacerbated by the physiological effects of pregnancy (Indirect causes).
Regarding infant mortality, the epidemiological report disclosed 3,012 deaths among infants under one year old in 2023, resulting in an infant mortality rate of 18.4 per 1,000 live births, representing a 7% reduction from 2022’s rate of 19.8 per 1,000 live births.
The majority (78%) of these deaths occurred during the neonatal period.
Acento reports that Carlos Carrera, UNICEF’s representative in the Dominican Republic, emphasized the importance of maintaining high-quality hospital management, ensuring respectful and dignified obstetric and neonatal care to provide a positive experience for mothers and their newborns.
Carrera also stressed the significance of healthcare facilities having reliable data for realistic planning and effective capacity in healthcare services.
He further emphasized that to achieve universal health coverage and ensure the survival and well-being of more newborns, “we cannot neglect families facing greater vulnerabilities.”
“Every day, many parents face the trauma of losing their children, sometimes even before they take their first breath,” added the UN official, advocating for “strong political will and increased investment in access to primary healthcare for all women and children” to prevent this tragedy.
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