• Dear Minister,

    I am writing to express my concern that levels of maternal mortality in Peru are unnecessarily high and that poor, rural and Indigenous women are at a far greater risk of dying in childbirth from preventable causes than women from wealthier, urban areas.

    I welcome the efforts that have been made so far by the Ministry of Health to reduce maternal mortality. However, I am concerned that the Peruvian government could and should be making more effort to prevent these deaths.

    Therefore, I urge you to ensure that any government initiative to reduce maternal mortality makes it a priority to:

    • Allocate adequate resources to maternal and reproductive health care, prioritizing the poorest regions with highest mortality ratios;

    • Systematically reduce economic, physical and cultural barriers that prevent poor rural and Indigenous women from accessing life-saving reproductive and maternal health care;

    • Ensure meaningful participation of women in decisions about maternal health care and in the evaluation and monitoring of current processes;

    • Provide accessible information to women about their sexual and reproductive rights and the right to health;

    • Ensure adequate monitoring of government policy to reduce maternal mortality, in order to promote effective planning and accountability.

    Yours sincerely,     
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