KINGSTON, Jamaica— Jamaica experienced its highest rate of women dying from complications with pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

In fact, the maternal mortality rate that year was over 200 per 100,000 live births, a more than doubling of the country’s rate which is around 100 per 100,000 live births each year.

The information is contained in the Jamaica Population Health Status Report 2000–2022, which was tabled in the Parliament this week.

According to the report, Jamaica has been unable to bring its maternal mortality rate below 100 per 100,000 live births since 2016.

This suggests the country has some way to go if it is to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target to reduce global maternal mortality to 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.

Of particular concern is the fact that Jamaica’s maternal mortality ratio has not fallen below 70 per 100,000 live births in 20 years.

“The closet figure to this was reported in 2009 when the maternal mortality ratio was 72 per 100,000 live births,” the report said.

It noted that since 2016, the ratio has remained above 100 per 100,000 live births, with the highest rate reported in 2021 at 211.3 per 100,000 live births.

“This marked increase in 2021 was attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the report added.

The maternal mortality ratio is a key performance indicator for efforts to improve the health and safety of mothers before, during, and after childbirth per country worldwide.

Maternal death can be caused directly by postpartum haemorrhage, pre-eclampsia and hypertensive disorders, pregnancy-related infections, and complications of unsafe abortion, as well as indirectly by pre-existing medical conditions aggravated by the pregnancy.