INTEC's Center for Gender Studies warns that the Dominican Republic exceeds regional averages for maternal mortality

In presenting a document on the occasion of International Women's Day, this March 8, they point out that government policies have not been efficient in addressing the problem that claims the lives of hundreds of women each year.

SANTO DOMINGO. – Despite maternal mortality being considered a “national priority” in both government plans and political speeches, the Dominican Republic far exceeds the regional averages for deaths of women associated with pregnancy and childbirth in Latin America and the Caribbean, with a rate above 90 per 100,000 live births.

This is the position taken in the document “Safe and Respectful Motherhood of Human Rights: Debts, Arrears and Institutional Violence against Women”, prepared by the Center for Gender Studies of the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (CEG-INTEC), on the occasion of the commemoration of International Women's Day, this March 8.

In presenting the main findings of the study, Dalul Ordehi, dean of the Area of ​​Social Sciences and Humanities, and Desiree del Rosario Sosa, coordinator of CEG-INTEC, stated that being a woman in the Dominican Republic leads to a situation of vulnerability, marked by a greater risk of violence in all its forms, given the deep gender inequalities that prevail in Dominican society and that place women in a subordinate position.

“If a woman is pregnant, in labor, or in the postpartum period, her vulnerabilities are amplified, against the backdrop of poor-quality obstetric care associated with maternal deaths. But these vulnerabilities are further exacerbated, and carry a greater risk of illness and death, when pregnant women and women in labor live in poverty, reside in rural areas, are of African descent, migrants, or have a disability, among other social conditions that have historically generated exclusion and discrimination in our society,” stated Del Rosario Sosa.

Official figures for maternal deaths

The document states that, according to preliminary data from the National Epidemiological Surveillance System (SINAVE), in 2024 there were 124.8 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.

Furthermore, it highlights that the latest official data available, from the Epidemiological Bulletin for week 52 of 2025, indicates a cumulative total of 177 deaths of women, the same number as the previous year (2024). “That is to say, in our country, a woman dies every two days due to complications during pregnancy, childbirth, or the postpartum period, most often from a preventable cause.”  

The teachers from INTEC argued that 9 out of 10 maternal deaths are preventable if the measures and recommendations that have proven effective are applied: quality maternal care, universal access to contraceptive methods and fighting against inequalities in access to health.

The document states that women die from complications during or after pregnancy or childbirth, most of which are preventable or treatable; they can also be the result of pre-existing conditions that worsen with pregnancy, especially if they are not detected and treated properly as part of prenatal care.

The main complications, which cause approximately 75% of all maternal deaths, are: hypertension during pregnancy (preeclampsia and eclampsia), severe bleeding, infections, and unsafe abortions.

Abortion and three grounds

 During a press conference held at the university, Ordehi and Del Rosario Sosa pointed out that in the context of the response to the high maternal mortality rate, it is relevant to highlight the issue of abortion, which remains one of the main causes of maternal deaths in the country and is generated from the criminalization of abortion without exception, which forces women to carry pregnancies to term that represent threats to the health and lives of women, as well as the occurrence of abortions in unsafe conditions that expose them to a greater risk of serious maternal morbidity and death.

Lack of policies

The document argues that the Ministry of Public Health lacks an updated policy or plan focused on reducing maternal mortality, which would provide direction and define guidelines to address this priority health problem, reverse the indicators sustained for decades, and improve maternal health.

“The latest available document dates from 2019 and outlines impact targets for reducing the maternal mortality ratio: from 85 per 100,000 live births by 2026 and from 70 by 2030, the latter coinciding with the Sustainable Development Goals and the National Development Strategy. It goes without saying that these targets will not be met, especially given the lack of direction and action from the Ministry of Public Health, whose authorities are called upon to be accountable and report on this situation,” the report states. 

“Despite the fact that, for a long time, civil society, the women's movement, as well as academies and scientific societies have demanded, positioning that it is a human right to access safe and quality maternal health care services so as not to die from preventable causes; we are faced with a weak and contradictory response that does not meet the State's commitments nor comply with health care regulations and is a violation of human rights,” the academics from INTEC stated.

They warned that the state response is not focused on women and the most vulnerable populations, who find a hostile environment in health services, characterized by manifestations of obstetric violence, the absence of informed consent, and the prevalence of practices not recommended during prenatal care and childbirth; including unnecessary cesarean sections that reach a high and shameful percentage in national statistics.

 They considered that there is a deficient application of care protocols by health personnel, and that the State's response It limits rights and does not promote equality.

 They explained that it is urgent to address inequalities related to socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity, education, place of residence, immigration status, and age, as these are factors that determine maternal mortality. “The call is to work about determinants events de la health maternal, focus efforts and interventions on territories and populations in conditions of greater social vulnerability, so that no one is left behind, as the SDG motto states.”