Maternal mortality in Mexico

Maternal mortality is an important public health problem in Mexico. Although the Mexican government has invested many physical and economic resources to strategies specifically created to reduce this problem and reach the Millennium Development Goals, Mexico is not going to achieve this goal on time. Maternal Mortality is a problem of inequality and social injustice. Access to health services is unequally distributed among regions and among population within those regions. Despite a general decline in childbirth deaths worldwide, differences still exist depending on the level of urbanization and size of residence. Because of extreme inequality in Mexico, pregnant women living in rural and highly marginalized areas face the highest risk of dying for maternal causes. The main strategies Mexican government has adopted to reduce maternal mortality target the unsecure, rural and poor population, with the aim of closing the significant gap between geographic regions and social groups.