For PAHO, the coronavirus has devastating effects on women

At least a thousand pregnant women have died from complications from the virus and pregnancy care, and the newborn has been suspended in almost half of the countries in the Americas.

“According to UN estimates, up to 20 million women in the Americas will have their contraception cut off during the pandemic, either because services are not available or because women will no longer be able to afford to pay. for contraception, ”she said. Etienne, in a later statement posted on the PAHO website.

“Data from 24 countries indicates that more than 200,000 pregnant women have fallen ill with Covid-19 in the Americas and at least 1,000 have died of complications from the virus,” Etienne said.

“If this continues, the pandemic is expected to wipe out more than 20 years of progress in expanding women’s access to family planning and tackling maternal mortality in the region. Almost all maternal deaths are preventable and even a return to pre-pandemic maternal mortality levels, which were already high, could take more than a decade, ”he warned.

The maternal mortality rate in Latin America and the Caribbean fell from 96 to 74 deaths per 100,000 live births between 2000 and 2017, a global reduction of 23.1%, according to data from the organization.

Etianne urged countries to guarantee health services for women and girls, and noted that economic inequalities have increased in the past 15 months.

“Women, who make up over 70% of the health workforce in Latin America and the Caribbean, bear the heaviest burden of the response to Covid-19,” he said.