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Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Epublish 45 citations

PubMed: 36264994 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275333

Excess maternal mortality in Brazil: Regional inequalities and trajectories during the COVID-19 epidemic.

PLoS One 17(10):e0275333

Authors: Jesem Orellana, Nadège Jacques, Daniel Gray Paschoal Leventhal, Lihsieh Marrero, Lina Sofía Morón-Duarte

Affiliations

  • Leônidas and Maria Deane Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.
  • Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Department of Social Medicine, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
  • Independent Researcher, Takoma Park, Maryland, United States of America.
  • Department of Nursing, Amazonas State University, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.
  • Global Institute of Clinical Excellence, Keralty, Bogotá, Distrito Capital, Colombia.
  • Translational Research Group, Sanitas University Foundation, Bogotá, Distrito Capital, Colombia.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has exceeded 6 million known disease-related deaths and there is evidence of an increase in maternal deaths, especially in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to estimate excess maternal deaths in Brazil and its macroregions as well as their trajectories in the first 15 months of the COVID-19 epidemic.

METHODS

This study evaluated maternal deaths from the Mortality Information System of the Ministry of Health, with excess deaths being assessed between March 2020 and May 2021 by quasi-Poisson generalized additive models adjusted for overdispersion. Observed deaths were compared to deaths expected without the pandemic, accompanied by 95% confidence intervals according to region, age group, and trimester of occurrence. Analyses were conducted in R version 3.6.1 and RStudio version 1.2.1335.

RESULTS

There were 3,291 notified maternal deaths during the study period, resulting in a 70% excess of deaths regardless of region, while in the North, Northeast, South and Southeast regions, excess deaths occurred regardless of age group. Excess deaths occurred in the March-May 2021 trimester regardless of region and age group. Excess deaths were observed in the Southeast region for the 25-36-year-old age group regardless of the trimester assessed, and in the North, Central-West and South regions, the only period in which excess deaths were not observed was September-November 2020. Excess deaths regardless of trimester were observed in the 37-49-year-old age group in the North region, and the South region displayed explosive behavior from March-May 2021, with a 375% excess of deaths.

CONCLUSIONS

Excess maternal deaths, with geographically heterogenous trajectories and consistently high patterns at the time of the epidemic's greatest impact, reflect not only the previous effect of socioeconomic inequalities and of limited access to maternal health services, but most of all the precarious management of Brazil's health crisis.

MeSH

Maternal Mortality, Pandemics, Epidemics, Maternal Death, Covid-19

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