The National Ministry of Health presented this Tuesday the 2021 vital statistics, which correspond to births and deaths that occurred during the second year of the pandemic.
One of the data that drew attention is the increase in maternal deaths. These are defined as deaths to a woman while she is pregnant or within 42 days of the termination of that pregnancy. Any cause related to childbirth, care, and the health status of the woman are computed for the rate. Accidental or incidental deaths are not taken into account.
According to Nation data, in 2021 the maternal mortality rate stood at 7.4 per 10,000 live births. Thus, the maternal mortality ratio was the highest in the last 10 years. In absolute numbers, there were 393 women who died, of which 220 died from Covid-19.
More than 17,000 people have died in excess in Córdoba since the start of the pandemic
Health authorities reported that this increase is mainly explained by the pandemic. Covid-19 was among the leading causes of indirect deaths (maternal pathologies that are not related to obstetric complications during pregnancy, childbirth, or the puerperium).
In Córdoba, the maternal mortality rate also grew in 2021. It stood at 6.3 deaths per 10,000 live births. In 2020 the indicator had been located at 3.4 and in 2019 it was 2.
Of the total of 393 maternal deaths registered in Argentina, 13 were due to abortions, 107 due to causes related to pregnancy or childbirth care, and 273 were indirect (due to some pre-existing pathology of the mother).
Regarding the age of the women, 17 deaths corresponded to those under 20 years of age, 234 between 20 and 34. Finally, 142 were 35 years of age or older.
In turn, the Sars-Cov-2 virus was the second cause of death in people over 74 years of age (behind cardiovascular diseases). In relation to the mortality rate, deaths from Covid-19 affected the oldest age groups, registering the highest number of deaths in people over 55 years of age.
Carla Vizzotti, Minister of Health of the Nation, reported that vital statistics are built with the information collected (and then sent by the jurisdictions) through death certificates. In 2020 there was a delay in sending the information.
A study carried out in Córdoba clarified why there were more deaths in pregnant people this year due to coronavirus compared to the previous one. To read the report, click here.
So far this year, 15 pregnant women have died from Covid-19 in Córdoba: they are investigating causes and evolution
excess mortality
In the press meeting called for professionals of the Argentine Network of Scientific Journalism, data on excess mortality was also given. In 2021 it was 26.3 percent, which makes up a total excess of 18.2 percent between 2020 and 2021.
This analysis is based on a methodology that compares the total number of expected deaths, according to an average of previous years (in the case of Argentina, 2015-2019), with the effective deaths that occur during a crisis (epidemic, pandemic, catastrophe). ) in a certain period and place.
If the recorded deaths are more than the expected deaths, it is considered that there was excess mortality; the higher this index, the more serious the impact of the pandemic can be considered. This indicator includes both deaths from Covid-19 and those directly linked to the pandemic, for example, due to overflow of the health system, problems of access to prevention and treatment of other health conditions.
The report pointed out that in 2021 mortality was 26.3 percent higher than expected, which corresponds to 89,895 excess deaths. The greatest excess mortality occurs in the first semester, when the second wave of COVID-19 occurs due to the introduction of variants with greater transmissibility and severity (mainly Gamma).