International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has said more needs to be done to stop women in Jamaica dying during childbirth.

According to Marcela Suazo, director of the body's Latin American and Caribbean division, healthcare and obstetrics specialists have enough knowledge to tackle maternal mortality, the Jamaica Observer reports.

Indeed, she argued that with the technological advances that have occurred in recent years, this should not "be a problem in this century".

The organisation has therefore called for action to be taken to reduce the number of fatalities in childbirth.

Alma Camacho, regional adviser on sexual and reproductive health at UNFPA, is particularly concerned because the death rate in Jamaica is very high, while it is also a big problem in Haiti and Guyana.

The typical life expectancy for women in Jamaica is currently 74, according to the World Health Organization, but the continuing maternal mortality problem means the country is unlikely to meet its UN Millennium Development Goal.

Posted by Martine Ward