Mexico: Cuba´s Work to Reduce Maternal Mortality Highlighted

Mexico, Jun 5. – Cuba is one of the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean with more political support for the public health agenda, particularly the reduction of maternal and infant mortality, said an expert from the United Nations.

In a scenario where the maternal mortality rate in some countries is 80 per every 100,000 live births, Cuba has been a model for the region, said Dr. Virginia Camacho, Regional Adviser on Sexual and Reproductive Health of the UN Population Fund, in an interview with Prensa Latina.

She said that over the past 50 years, Cuba has implemented the right approach to this issue, "that is that all Cuban women should give birth institutionally, every woman should have access to quality prenatal care, and every woman should be examined, for example nutrition examinations".

She added that the country is a standard bearer in the network of maternity homes.

On the situation in Latin America and the Caribbean, Dr. Camacho said that the countries with negative rates are Haiti, Bolivia, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Guyana and Suriname.(Prensa Latina)