In 2025, the rate of severe maternal complications was 7.7 cases per every 100 estimated births; this affected more than 27,000 women. Common causes were hypertension during pregnancy and obstetric hemorrhages. These data indicate that, despite efforts to reduce maternal mortality, many women suffer severe complications associated with pregnancy and childbirth. This scenario shows that public health policy for women in the country still has significant pending issues, so that life is not only longer but also healthier. According to estimates from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) for 2025, life expectancy at birth for women in Mexico is approximately 79 years, while for men it is 72.6 years, with a difference of at least 6.4 years in favor of women. However, this advantage diminishes when observing data on chronic diseases such as diabetes, malignant tumors, or cardiovascular diseases, which are the main causes of death among the Mexican population, but have a greater impact on women, according to data from the Death Statistics of INEGI in 2025. The National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT) reported that among adults aged 20 and over, 75% of women had overweight or obesity, compared to 69.6% of men, a condition directly associated with diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, it revealed that a previous diagnosis of diabetes showed a slightly higher prevalence in women across different age groups, which implies a prolonged burden of disease and treatment throughout their lives. Regarding detection and medical care, women also face difficulties, as only 2 out of 10 accessed cancer screening tests, according to the Health at a Glance 2025 report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The organization mentioned that this figure is related to various factors such as the limited availability of mammograms and trained personnel; to the difficulty of health monitoring, gaps in effective coverage, delays in referral and diagnosis, or socioeconomic and informational factors are added. The report highlights that medical care for the Mexican population in itself also faces challenges, as only 78% of the population has coverage of basic health services, and only 56% of people are satisfied with them. The document also reveals that the Mexican population shows high levels of preventable mortality, with 243 people per 100,000 and 175 per 100,000 treatable, given failures in timely care. These figures indicate that many deaths could be avoided with timely health interventions, according to OECD data. Mexican women, in addition to living longer, can survive 16.8 years with a condition that affects their health or quality of life, compared to 13.7 years for men, reveal population data and estimates from INEGI for 2025 and the Global Burden of Disease 2021. In the realm of reproductive health, women in Mexico also face challenges.
