Topic:
Country: Guatemala
Delegate Name: Ananya Arulmurugan
Women Committee
Maternal Health
Guatemala
Ananya Arulmurugan
Forest Hills Eastern High School
Over 800 women die every day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these deaths occur in developing countries. These deaths can be prevented and should be at top priority. As per MDG 5, the goal is to reduce maternal mortality rate by 75%. Since 1990, it has declined by 40%. In the UN summit of 2010, a campaign was launched called Every Woman, Every Child. The UN also implemented a joint programme in the Central African Republic,Chad, Guinea, Haiti, Mali, Niger, and Togo that makes links between violence against women and maternal health more prominent.
In 2005, the Guatemalan government worked to reduce high mortality rates by strengthening the extension of the coverage program. Many positive results have been observed, including mortality rates falling from 3.2% to 1.24%, Institutional deliveries increasing from 22% to 42%, and the percentage of children struggling with malnutrition went from73% to 60%. Women dying in childbirth in Guatemala generally die at home, and have lesser access to healthcare. The indigenous woman there are twice as likely to die from childbirth as non-indigenous woman are due to discrimination and lack of quality maternal care. Going forward, Guatemala will also invest 100 million USD to improve health care, and reduce maternal mortality rates. Guatemala overall has the highest maternal mortality rates in Latin America.
Guatemala advocates for a policy to make healthcare more equally available for everyone. Most maternal deaths are a result of inaccessible healthcare. Making healthcare more obtainable service will further the goal made by the UN to reduce mortality rates by 75%. Guatemala also recognizes the importance of an unbiased view in hospitals and wants to improve the treatment of indigenous women in these areas.
