Maternal mortality and the lack of women-centered care in Brazil during COVID-19: Preliminary findings of a qualitative study, 2022

Brazil has the highest rates of maternal mortality due to COVID-19, worldwide. As of December 1, 2021, there were 1948 reported cases of maternal deaths caused by COVID-19. Of those, 1488 occurred in 2021, 223% more than in 2020.3 Epidemiological data in Brazil shows that 59% of pregnant or puerperal women who died in 2021 due to COVID-19 had no prior risk factors or comorbidities. A meta-analysis study also suggests that the increase in adverse impacts is related to the inefficiency of health care systems and an inability to manage the pandemic. In Brazil, the vaccine only became readily available for pregnant women in July 2021, after a series of political and judicial controversies. We argue that a public health emergency demands women-centered responses to reduce adverse impacts on reproductive health.