A cartografia do gestar em mato grosso do sul: o mapeamento de indicadores da saúde materna no período 2009 a 2021

Abstract

Prenatal care is essential to ensure the health and well-being of women and newborns, playing a central role in reducing maternal mortality and complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. This study focuses on the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, which comprises 79 municipalities and has a population of 2,757,013 inhabitants (IBGE, 2022). The aim is to analyze how the race/ethnicity variable influences access to and adequacy of prenatal care provided by the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) and its impacts on maternal mortality outcomes between 2009 and 2021. This is a descriptive and retrospective study with a quantitative and spatial approach, based on secondary data obtained from the Mortality Information System (SIM) and the Live Birth Information System (SINASC), accessed through DATASUS. The data were analyzed using thematic cartography, allowing the identification of territorial patterns and racial inequalities in maternal health. The results indicate that Black, Brown, and Indigenous women face greater barriers to adequate prenatal care, associated with socioeconomic, geographic, and structural factors, which exacerbate maternal health inequalities. Border regions present specific challenges related to economic, political, and social asymmetries. A high proportion of incomplete records was also identified, revealing weaknesses in health information systems. The study concludes that cartography is a strategic tool for territorial analysis and for strengthening public policies aimed at equity in maternal health.