"Fatal flaws" to Peru's maternal health system

There are many problems to the maternal health system in Peru, a new report has indicated.

Research from Amnesty International has revealed that many pregnant women are dying due to a lack of adequate health services.

In a report titled Fatal Flaws: Barriers to Maternal Health in Peru, the organisation revealed that poor and indigenous women are particularly affected by the lack of maternal healthcare.

Nuria Garcia, Amnesty International's Peru researcher, said that the situation is "scandalous", but welcomed new initiatives if they can be introduced successfully.

"The fact that so many women are dying from preventable causes is a human rights violation," she said.

"Official initiatives to reduce maternal mortality are good news. However, lack of clear responsibilities for implementing them and the absence of effective resourcing and monitoring puts any initiative in great jeopardy."

For every 100,000 live births in Peru, 240 women die, according to United Nations figures.

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