Trends in maternal mortality in the department of Córdoba –Colombia, 2008 - 2020

Abstract

Introduction: Maternal mortality is recognized worldwide as a public health issue, a situation that has been addressed by the United Nations (UN) including its reduction within the third objective of sustainable development. Likewise, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have been in charge of establishing programs focusing on promoting and improving maternal health. Objective: Analyze the evolution of maternal mortality in the department of Córdoba - Colombia in the period 2008 to 2020 and identify changes in the trend. Method: Ecological with retrospective information. The maternal mortality ratio was calculated for the department of Córdoba and for Colombia for the period 2008 - 2020. Using joinpoint regression, the Annual Percentage Change (APC) of the ratio was estimated and inflection points were identified. Results: The results of the study show two periods with an increasing trend for the department of Córdoba: the first between 2008 and 2010 with a PCA of 8.3 (95% CI: -71.3 – 462.6) and the second between 2018 and 2020 with a APC of 20.8 (CI95% -63.3 – 297.3). However, the p value in both time periods is not statistically significant. Conclusions: The MMR in the department of Córdoba presents a fluctuating behavior with large increases and sudden decreases that suggest deficiencies in the recording of information and in the notification of the event