Impact of conflict and pandemic on women's health in Latin America: implementation to improve equity in the provision and access to safe obstetric anesthesia

Abstract

Latin America is one of the regions with the most significant inequalities in women’s health as a result of factors such as social disparity, lack of work opportunities, unemployment, violence, and corruption. Adding a health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic to these elements created a perfect storm that perpetuated extreme inequalities. The crisis negatively impacted Latin-American women, and economic recession in our region was one of the main consequences, resulting in women compared with men having higher rates of poverty, poorer access to and experience of healthcare, a wider gender gap, and adverse effects on well-being. This consequently made women more vulnerable. Several initiatives to allow better access and to provide safe anesthesia to pregnant patients have been taken in the region to improve obstetric patient care during the pandemic and beyond. Education has been pivotal and one of the most essential tools in bridging the gap in inequalities between men and women.