Immediate requirement for substantial investment in maternal healthcare
In 2024, Portugal faced an alarming rise in infant mortality, with 252 deaths of children under one year old registered, marking an increase from 210 in the previous year. The infant mortality rate reached 3.0 per 1,000 live births, a 20% surge from the previous year.
This concerning trend emerges amidst deteriorating access to maternal and child healthcare, as highlighted by non-governmental organization OVO PT. The group pointed to numerous closures of gynecology and obstetrics emergency departments in Serviço Nacional de Saúde hospitals, particularly in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region, as a potential contributory factor.
OVO PT expresses "deep concern" over the current state of affairs, viewing infant mortality as a critical indicator of the nation's overall health. The organization is calling for urgently needed accountability within the healthcare system, a thorough examination of systemic failures, and comprehensive data collection to better understand the underlying causes of the observed outcomes.
Critics within OVO PT question whether the increase in infant and maternal mortality is solely a result of insufficient care or if it may also reflect the occurrence of excessive, non-medically justified interventions. These interventions, if they exist, could potentially place families at unnecessary risk.
In the same press release, OVO PT emphasized the importance of ensuring access to proper healthcare for all pregnant women, regardless of immigration status. The organization underlines that numerous expectant mothers still lack access to essential primary care services, jeopardizing the safe monitoring of their pregnancies.
OVO PT also condemned the denial of healthcare access for immigrant women, citing reports of refusals of care, administrative barriers, and even physical obstruction at health centers. These practices, the group argues, are unjust and violate the fundamental human right to healthcare.
According to recently released data from the National Statistics Institute, these concerns may persist as immigrant mothers account for nearly one-third of births in 2024, which underscores the country's reliance on foreign families to sustain birth rates. This demographic shift could potentially alter social and healthcare policies in the coming years.
To effectively address rising infant and maternal mortality, experts advocate for multiple solutions, including thorough investigations into the specific causes of the increase, ensuring continuous access to healthcare services, improving data collection mechanisms, and implementing targeted public health initiatives to reduce risk factors for infant mortality.
To reinforce these efforts, Portugal should focus on improving data collection systems by establishing centralized data platforms and regularly monitoring healthcare outcomes to facilitate timely interventions and policy adjustments. By addressing these challenges and implementing solutions, Portugal can work towards reducing infant and maternal mortality rates and improving overall public health.
- Regardless of their country of origin, pregnant women in Portugal need equal access to healthcare, as indicated by OVO PT, who raised concerns about immigrant mothers lacking access to essential primary care services.
- In an effort to combat the rise in infant and maternal mortality, Portugal should explore the potential role of CBD in managing medical conditions related to childbirth and pregnancy.
- In light of Portugal's reliance on foreign families to sustain birth rates, it's crucial to invest in women's health and medical-conditions research, as well as health and wellness initiatives that promote a better understanding of health disparities among different ethnic groups in Portugal.
