Trend and epidemiological profile of maternal deaths in Brazil from 2000 to 2022

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the trend and profile of maternal deaths in Brazil from 2000 to 2022.
Methods: An ecological time-series study, with data extracted from the Integrated Health
Surveillance Platform (Mortality and Natality Monitoring Panel). The variables investigated
include age, race/color, region of origin, and type of obstetric causes of death. After calculating
the Maternal Mortality Ratios (MMR), the trend was analyzed using control charts, where the
expected probabilities for a normal distribution were used to construct central (C), alert (B),
and control (A) zones, and points outside the control limits were observed. Results: From 2000
to 2019, the MMR remained in the central zone of the control chart, 52,30-2000/55,31-2019,
with a significant increase during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-71,97; 2021-113,18), and a
return in 2022 (54.82). The age group with the highest MMR was 40 years and older, although
there was a declining trend after 2009 (248,70-2009; 150,00-2019; 125,70-2022). Black women
had the highest MMR (average: 208.04), as did the North and Northeast regions (averages:
69.51 and 68.41, respectively). Direct obstetric causes were the leading cause of maternal death
during the period. Conclusion: Aside from the pandemic years, the MMR showed stagnation.
Older women had the highest MMR, and the impact of social inequalities was evident, with
black women and those from the North and Northeast regions experiencing the highest
mortality rates. More targeted public policies are urgently needed to reduce maternal mortality
and to better address the needs of vulnerable populations.