A look at severe maternal morbidity in Maputo. The relationship with HIV

Complications related to pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period have led to the deaths of thousands of women worldwide, despite the progress achieved in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4, 5, and 6, which aim to reduce the mortality rate of children under five by two-thirds (MDG 4), the maternal mortality ratio by three-quarters (MDG 5) between 1990 and 2015, and to halve and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015, in addition to combating malaria and other diseases (MDG 6). In Mozambique, the estimated maternal mortality ratio is high, at 509.8 deaths per 100,000 live births, affecting mainly young women of productive and reproductive age. The estimated prevalence of HIV in women aged 15-49 is 13.1%, antiretroviral treatment coverage in adults is 25%, and prophylaxis for the prevention of vertical transmission of HIV is 46%. This book can help clarify women’s health in these countries, not only for health professionals, but also for students and the general population.