Comments
The development of priority measure 40 focuses on maternal health care. Other components are developed in priority measures that deal with preventing and avoiding unsafe abortion (priority measure 42) and access to modern and effective contraceptive methods and comprehensive advice and care in case of unwanted and unaccepted pregnancy (priority measure 44).
Priority measure 40 is complementary to priority measure 11 on comprehensive sexuality education, priority measure 37 on access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, priority measure 87 on the rights and sexual health of indigenous peoples, in particular as they relate to reducing maternal mortality, and priority measure 95 on the sexual and reproductive health of Afro-descendent persons.
Possible lines of action
1. Strengthen primary care, establishing standards, guidelines, training for personnel, supervision of service quality and participation of community-based organizations. 2. Ensure free and compulsory care for pregnant women throughout the national territory. 3 Implement pregnancy care programmes that guarantee a minimum number of antenatal check-ups as well as quality institutional care at childbirth to prevent avoidable deaths. 4. Take the measures necessary to reduce delays in identifying and responding to obstetric emergencies. 5. Have in place strategies for targeting prevention and care among subgroups of women for which maternal mortality rates are highest: indigenous women, Afro-descendent women, rural women and others that the country may have identified. 6. Earmark the necessary resources for the functioning of sexual and reproductive health programmes and services, and in particular those for maternal care, with high standards of quality including the various measures of prevention for women of reproductive age. 7. Promote measures to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Related instruments, forums and mechanisms
Sustainable Development Goals, Goal 3 (“Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”), target 3.1 (By 2030 reduce the global maternal mortality rate to less than 70 per 100,000 live births”).
In the Inter-American system, the Protocol of San Salvador expressly enshrines the obligation of States to provide adequate protection for women and, in particular, to provide special care and assistance to mothers before childbirth and for a reasonable time afterwards, without discrimination of any kind (articles 3 and 15).
Santo Domingo Consensus, agreement 79 (“Ensure effective implementation and institutionalization of comprehensive education on sexuality in education systems, as a means of preventing adolescent pregnancy and maternal mortality, and to prevent unwanted pregnancies in general and guarantee women and adolescent girls the full exercise of their sexual rights and reproductive rights such that they can take free, informed and responsible decisions in relation to their sexuality, sex life and sexual orientation, including the right to motherhood of women with HIV/AIDS”).
Brasilia Consensus, agreement 6.g (“Strengthen and broaden plans and programmes that promote healthy maternity and prevent maternal mortality by ensuring universal access to health-care services, especially for indigenous and Afro-descendent adolescent girls and women”).
