Pregnant women dying at 'scandalous' rate in Peru
Amnesty International- pregnant women in Peru are dying in childbirth
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Thursday, 09, Jul 2009 06:02
Pregnant women in Peru are dying at scandalous rates, a report by Amnesty International has concluded today.
The report found hundreds of poor, rural and indigenous pregnant women are dying because they are being denied the same health services as other women in the country receive.
The 'Fatal Flaws: Barriers to Maternal Health in Peru' report looked at the high levels of maternal mortality among poor and indigenous women in Peru, evaluating government policies to tackle the problem.
Peru currently has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the Americas. Official figures state 185 in every 100,000 women die in child birth, but the United Nations puts the number higher at 240.
Amnesty International’s Peru researcher Nuria Garcia said: "The rates of maternal mortality in Peru are scandalous. The fact that so many women are dying from preventable causes is a human rights violation.
"The Peruvian state is simply ignoring its obligation to provide adequate maternal healthcare to all women, regardless of who they are and where they live."
The report highlighted so many women are dying because they face a number of barriers, including a lack of health staff who speak indigenous languages.
Ms Garcia added: "Health services for pregnant women in Peru are like a lottery: if you are poor and Indigenous, the chances are you will always lose."
The organisation has urged the Peruvian government to allocate resources to maternal mortality and reproductive health, prioritising the regions with the highest mortality ratios. It also recommends an increase in training, particularly of indigenous languages.