Abstract
Objective: To address aspects related to maternal mortality (MM) in Brazil and discuss the implementation of useful measures for its reduction. Methods: This is an original article based on studies in English and Portuguese, about MM in Brazil and other countries, published between 2008 and 2021. The studies were selected on the PubMed, SciELO platforms, Acervo + and Medline, applying the descriptors: Maternal mortality, High-Risk Pregnancy, Women’s Health Services. In addition, epidemiological bulletins and the Ministry of Health (MS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) websites were used. As they are public domain and accessible information, the approval of the Research Ethics Committee is expendable. Results: The MM can have direct or indirect causes and is closely related to social conditions, demonstrating worsening access to health and education and the marked presence of a low socioeconomic condition in Brazil. The persistence of underreporting in the country, in addition to race, marital status, mode of delivery, age and school education influence the MM. Conclusion: Although the maternal mortality rate has presented an attenuation in the past few years, it is still high in Brazil, showing the importance of adopting a series of actions aimed at mitigating it.